The Gutsy Jinchuuriki
by JeffC FTW
Summary: Pain's attack on Konoha left everything devastated in its wake. Danzo is Hokage. Sasuke is a wanted criminal - and Naru is imprisoned. When she is sprung free by what is left of the Akatsuki who are changing their ways, she is determined to save her village with their help. She didn't plan on falling in love with its leader, the one she hated most. (FemNaruto, AU)
1. Prisoner in Hokage Mountain

**Both Robin Hood (different versions I love) and the two-part "Killer Bee Rappuden" from the Infinite Tsukuyomi arc inspired me to bring this brand new piece to life. :D I've gotten addicted to femNaruto as much as I have my OC.**

 **Naru Uzumaki is in the gutter when her beloved Konoha falls under the rule of Danzo, now the Sixth Hokage. What's gonna happen? Will she just rot away despite her best efforts, or will help come in the unlikeliest form if she wants to save her village from the man who lives in the darkness? She's gonna need all the aid she can get...and she certainly never planned on falling in love on the way.**

 **Disclaimer: obvious enough? Naruto belongs to the awesome Kishi-san. And everyone knows Robin Hood has been a badass legend for ages, so it's no surprise who each of its different versions belong to.**

Chapter One

Prisoner in Hokage Mountain

It had all been hell the moment she was born.

She was born the night the Nine-Tails rampaged her home, which her father had been put in charge of. Her mother had been the previous vessel of the monster now sealed within her, but she and the beast, named Kurama, had come to understand each other well enough while she was imprisoned.

Her parents gave their lives to protect both her and this village. But the civilians who lived in it treated her like the demon instead of a human being. It had NOT been her fault this thing was put in her when there were no other options. Old man Sandaime had not told her anything because of protection reasons.

The village saw her as a monster - the ones who didn't know the truth and never fought the beast that night. As a result, their children had no clue but couldn't even be her friends.

Why did they treat her like that? She was a person; it wasn't her fault! But old man Third couldn't tell her a thing, not even who her parents were. Not only that, but she had to live in that rathole called an apartment with a monthly allowance, and she went to the Academy after such trouble of getting in. That pass-to-get-in was hell, and she wasn't afraid to admit it.

To keep her life in the Academy short: she really was average in class, did her best, but was nowhere near the level of one Sasuke Uchiha. Those girls, including Sakura and Ino, all fawning over him - what was the big deal? That pretty boy face, the brooding attitude and lack of anything else except wanting to be the best at everything? She saw nothing special; he was just an asshole the same age as her...and that was also his belittling of her because she was a loser of a girl compared to him, that it was her addition to make him acknowledge her.

Just like it was to become Hokage someday, then the village would start respecting her.

Besides the Third Hokage, there was Iruka-sensei who treated her like a little sister and often took her to Ichiraku, which was the only food she could afford with her allowance. And she had to learn to cook at home and feed herself, beside the ramen. She really cared about the old man and Iruka, despite the former not doing much to help her. But she figured it out on her own that he wanted her to do it herself, because if she wanted to be a ninja one day, Shinobi fended for themselves and those around them.

There was also one girl she thought would be a real friend, if the girl's family wouldn't let her. Hinata Hyuuga was timid and shy, but the look in her opalescent eyes was pure admiration as she watched Naru Uzumaki never give up in spite of what was thrown at her. And the blonde hated the fact she and cousin Neji were subjected to so-called destiny and pitted against each other.

It was that night Mizuki tricked her to stealing the scroll - which was supposed to help her - that she was followed by Iruka-sensei...and the bastard she hated exposed the fact she had the fox demon that attacked her home the night she was born sealed inside her. The Fourth Hokage was a hero and also a curse to her...before later in her life she would find out he was her father, and that her mother was the previous _Jinchuuriki._ There had been options failed and their newborn daughter had been the final hope.

She only had half the monster in her; the other half along with her father's soul was taken by the Reaper Death Seal. Minato did this because he believed she could master the Kyuubi's power, and it took several years to do just that - in time for things to take a turn for the worst.

The best times of her life when she became Genin was when she got Kakashi-sensei, then made all the friends she had, showed what she got in the Chuunin Exams. That was when she started getting the respect she craved for.

When she and her team fought Zabuza and Haku, it opened her eyes that the ninja world was much harsher than she thought it was, but did that stop her? It also made her think that behind every villain was a painful backstory, and if she could appeal to their hearts like she did to these two, then maybe things would work out.

The middle ground of good and bad: she dogged Sasuke who continued to belittle her, and Sakura was at first mean to her because she thought she'd be competition to the last Uchiha - but Naru had better things to worry about than some guy. _What do I know about love - and I mean romantic love? And Sakura thinks it's love when she has her eyes on someone who doesn't respect her._

Although there was one thing she never thought she would get out of Sasuke: their newfound friendship. But she never said it to his face for fear of rejection. She realized that he was someone she wanted to protect, when he was nearly killed by Haku's ice senbons - and that was when he passionately pleaded to live. _"My brother...he's still out there. I promised myself I'd stay alive...until I...killed him."_

Naru kept those words in mind, but never did she think it would happen so soon that the man in Sasuke's revenge dreams would appear and alter their lives if another hadn't done it already.

She was speaking of Orochimaru - the snake who slipped in with his lackeys and did everything he could to destroy the Leaf Village. He murdered the Third Hokage, even killed the Sand Village's Kazekage, and left that monstrous mark on Sasuke. Sakura saw it happen before her eyes, but he made her not say anything. Only for it to get worse the longer it was hidden.

Besides this, Naru encountered Gaara, who was also a vessel for a tailed beast - the one-tailed Shukaku. It was a nightmare to see him rampage during the attack. He even broke Bushy Brow Rock Lee's lower leg and lower arm on the left side of his body. He killed many in his life, by accident or on purpose. His own brother and sister feared him. He never had friends. His own father had done the sealing of the monster in his own son.

 _Just like my own. But his father was afraid of him while mine loved me._

Gaara's mother died after he was born. Her brother, his uncle, cared for him until he was forced to turn on him. He "lied" when he said he hated him and wanted his nephew to live and survive for himself. But Naru would not have any of this. If he wanted to make a difference, he had to have his ass chewed and every single bone in his body broken.

Pervy Sage was the best teacher she had, besides Kakashi and Iruka. She really rolled her eyes at his perverted research ways, but he was everything she wanted in a mentor. He even taught her how to do the Rasengan, which the Yondaime had created himself during the Second War! It was a pain in the ass jutsu to master, but it was all worth it - and better when she showed old lady Tsunade wrong, and whipped the hell out of Kabuto with it.

She hated Orochimaru more than before when he sunk his teeth into Sasuke; her teammate gave into temptation when the object of his hate and lust returned after the death of the Sandaime. The man was from the Akatsuki, a criminal organization whose motives were unclear - but one thing was for sure, and they wanted the fox inside her. So Jiraiya was hell-bent on protecting her and keeping her beside him.

How could she forgive the man who ruined Sasuke's life, long before Orochimaru - putting the two of them on the same page? How could she assume so childishly that he would resist the call to more power so he could avenge his clan which was slaughtered by the red-eyed demon himself?

Sakura cried and begged her to keep the "once in a lifetime request". She saw the pink-haired girl as her best friend more than ever now, so how could she refuse?

She and the men were all together on orders of Granny Fifth to retrieve him from the Sound Four under that snake. Along the way, each of them stayed behind to hold off one enemy each so she could go after Sasuke herself. _Kiba and Akamaru that double-headed freak...Choji that fat guy...Shikamaru that bitch with the flute...and Bushy Brows that Kimmimaro who said why Orochimaru really needed Sasuke._

 _His body like a new suit of clothes, to keep himself alive._

Naru and Sasuke fought at the place called the Final Valley - where two statue faces stood against each other, on either side of the waterfall which never seemed to end. And did he really mean business when he literally tried to kill her for trying to stop him. It killed her heart. It made her remember their days as rivals and then as Team Seven. It was the first time, even when their fists exchanged, that she had a bond like this - so that was why she was willing to cripple him and drag him back by force.

He turned into a monster as the final result, just as she did. Their personal demons came forth in one final strike: his Chidori against her Rasengan. All they did was cancel each other out.

He was gone when she came to, when she found herself first on Kakashi's back and then in the hospital. Nearly all her bones were paralyzed. Guilt gnawed at them in her failure to bring back the boy her friend loved. But Sakura tried to hide it with a smile.

Jiraiya-sensei told her that the best choice was to just give up on Sasuke, as he chose to leave on his own. He had his own path to follow; it was destined to happen from the beginning, but she hated that word and wished she had the power to change everything. If she was going to save her friend from that fate he didn't care he was putting himself through, then she would enhance not only the Rasengan, but also her body and the fox she had to learn to contend with.

It took three years for her to get stronger than ever so she could bring Sasuke back, to bring him back to Sakura. She had a promise to keep. She wanted one of her best friends in her life again. She didn't care if she was naïve. Her time was not going to be for nothing.

But things went worse while some things got better.

Naru perfected the Rasengan while developing a new form using all the shadow clones she could muster: the Rasenshuriken. Which she used on an Akatsuki member who was one of those to kill Asuma Sarutobi, Konohamaru's uncle. She showed everyone how far she came, and it in turn got them to working themselves on getting better.

Sakura certainly had changed for the better. She was the Fifth Hokage's apprentice and on the way to becoming one of the greatest medical ninja - hell, she might surpass the old lady! And to think that once she'd been behind both her teammates, one being a girl and the other a boy.

However, it was clear she still loved Sasuke.

And then the one opportunity came which they waited for in the last three years: they found Sasuke and one of Orochimaru's hideouts. But he'd gotten so much stronger than she had which was why she hardened herself all that time afterwards which earned reprimands from Sakura and those dreadful food pills she concocted. Not only that, but he tried to kill her, Sakura, their new teammate Sai - who reminded them a bit too much of Sasuke in appearance - as well as Captain Yamato who filled in Kakashi's place. He really meant to kill them.

He sounded extremely serious when he said he was done with them and the village. He would have finished them if Orochimaru hadn't been there.

A small part of Naru was now having doubts, but as always, she pushed them to the back of her mind.

Some time passed before word reached their ears that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru, and joy erupted within her - before it was gone the moment Tsunade said that her former friend was not going to return home, but to finally carry out his revenge, and the one name and face came to mind.

 _Itachi Uchiha._

Naru saw him only three times in her life, and this would be the third. Last time was when he and the Akatsuki went after Gaara, extracted his tailed beast and left him to die. So when she met the murderer of the Uchiha clan himself, she declared that Sasuke was more of a brother to her than Itachi ever was. He didn't deserve that title. But that smirk...

He said nearly the same thing Pervy Sage once told her: her plans to bring him back were nothing but fantasy. Sasuke tried to kill her twice and yet she still pursued him. It was an unhealthy obsession, an unhealthy friendship and rivalry - like the one Jiraiya had with Orochimaru. She was only tearing herself apart just like Sakura was doing with this thing she thought was love. This was nothing but a curse on them.

"I will defend the village and find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!"

But even then, Naru Uzumaki found herself doubting her own words. Although Itachi Uchiha said nothing as they were in his _genjutsu,_ surrounded by bottomless colors and his crows. And then he made a crow enter her body through her mouth, giving her a piece of his power and hoping the day wouldn't come when she would use it.

She still had no idea what he meant when he said all of that. But one thing was certain: he was the second person to tell her that her quest was pointless. Sure, she had friends and people who cared about her, the villagers started to respect her a little more even though she had more ways to go.

Could she weigh all of them against one person - one person who caused her more pain than she could recall?

The worst agony came after another failure to find Sasuke, especially when they heard he took over the Hidden Sound Village, but nothing on his success in getting his revenge. Itachi Uchiha still lived, and he was the new leader of the Akatsuki, which brought Naru to another event that tore her apart: Jiraiya was dead. He was killed by Pain, the leader of the Akatsuki who was in the Hidden Rain Village. According to Lord Fukasaku, one of the great sages of Mt. Myoboku, this Pain was called "Nagato" by Jiraiya - and revealed he possessed the legendary Rinnegan, an ocular jutsu wielded by the Sage of Six Paths himself.

Pain came and wrecked everything when he only wanted the girl who carried the Nine-Tailed Fox. He calmly killed everyone and laid waste to the entire village just for one person.

This man...this pierced bastard who killed Pervy Sage and who knew how many others. For the sake of his fake vision of peace which only involved "justified" deaths - he wanted the Ten-Tails revived all for this?!

Naru fought him, watched the toads fall - including geezer toad Fukasaku - and listened to Shima's wails to not give in before she, too, was thrown back. She was held down to the ground by Pain's chakra rods...and then _Hinata_ came to her rescue. The idiot thought she could win by coming alone!

Her declaration of friendship and inspiration sent Naru into shock as her body was thrown into the air, then brought down and jabbed through with another rod. She saw Hinata Hyuuga, the girl who shyly watched her for years and then came to her aid, proclaiming friendship in the sweetest, sincerest way ever, be killed.

The Kyuubi broke through her with a vengeance.

In her daze, she finally met her father. Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. The man whom she lashed out and screamed of the pain she suffered when he sealed the monster inside her - his own daughter! The grownups treated her with contempt, she couldn't make friends, but then she met wonderful people in Jiraiya, Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei. They all encouraged her and helped her become strong. Then she made friends, only to lose one to darkness.

He told her that Pain wasn't the real leader of the Akatsuki - only in the front page. Someone was pulling his strings, and he said it was the Akatsuki who wore the mask. She remembered encountering him once. But that idiotic guy with the orange mask was the leader? She could hardly believe it!

It was when she returned to normal, but not before Minato told her he loved her, believed in her even if she had no real answer to bringing peace, but as long as she had friends, then that was all she needed.

But how could she believe in peace now?

When she reached out to Nagato, the real Pain, and listened to his story, she saw how he had it much worse than her. He suffered because he had ties from the moment he was born - _like Sasuke -_ and now she knew what it was like. But it did not mean she would forgive him, especially when he killed THEIR master. She got through to him, and he released the Rinne Rebirth which revived all those he killed, including Hinata. Konan, the blue-haired right hand, went back to the Rain Village with the corpses of both Nagato and Yahiko - the corpse of the Pain she'd fought for the majority of.

Naru just about cried with joy when the villagers threw her in the air for her heroism. And that also meant they got plenty of rebuilding to do. Poor Yamato and his services needed!

But the joy didn't last. All of which brought her to where she was now.

Granny Tsunade was rendered comatose and therefore lost her youthful henge, showing her true, frail age. To look upon the face of the woman who was something like a mother to her and Sakura, had done everything she could to make sure Sasuke wasn't branded a rogue Shinobi like Yamato said he was, but look at her then. Shizune assured them both the woman would awake and all would be well...but then came the worst in which everything fell apart. All their dreams and hopes for the future.

Tsunade was relieved of her place as Hokage. Because of some guy called Danzo. He was one of the village elders - a bastard who worked in the shadows. But he'd been relieved a long time ago by old man Sarutobi. Yet now he was back.

Kakashi said he used to be in the ANBU Black Ops, under this guy specifically, but after the Uchiha massacre, he was removed when the Root foundation under Danzo was dissolved. "He has dirty ways to protect the village," Kakashi had said once, "no matter what it takes. This is bad on all of us..."

Not good. But it was all an understatement. Danzo did the act of sending this village into disorder, declaring Sasuke a rogue, and bringing Tsunade's reign to an end. This meant fear, control and distrust instead of love, friendship and trust. The village was rebuilt, and not for the better. All of it not being what Naru Uzumaki dreamed it would be, or any of her friends.

She should have listened to Kakashi when he said Danzo would look for an excuse to lock her up, because she was the village's _Jinchuuriki_. Word would get out eventually that she was imprisoned for her attempts to "rebel" against the new Sixth Hokage.

"You are a threat, Naru Uzumaki, _Jinchuuriki_ of the Nine-Tails," the bandaged old geezer told her when he visited her in person and watched as his cloaked, masked Root held her on either side, threatening to break both her arms, but that wouldn't be able to stop her - except to prevent her from doing her Rasengan. "And therefore, to tame the wild beast inside you, this will be for the best of all of us."

His eye hardened when he said that he was going to do what Tsunade never could do: lock her up and execute Sasuke Uchiha himself if he had the opportunity.

So here she was now, after being here for a year: in a cell constructed in the Hokage Mountain. But it wasn't in one of the precious faces that were the first two who built this village, nor was it the old man who was like a grandfather to her, and certainly not her father and poor Granny Tsunade, wherever she was now. The bastard Danzo said she was likely dead, from the intolerable conditions she was in now. Naru refused to believe it, but her shouts and rages were in vain. Not even her friends could step up lest they risked treason charges.

Naru's cell was in the mouth of Danzo's rock face. The irony was neither laughable or disgraceful. It was a hideous balance she refused to name. Down below, as she often shouted because it was all she could do until she was too tired at the end of the day, she saw more of the chaos. The social unrest in the very village she loved with all her heart.

People arrested and imprisoned while resisting, others barricading their homes so no patrolling Root would seize their loved ones.

Insurgence amongst her fellow Shinobi. They were divided and she was afraid to find out who was still loyal and who wasn't to the true ways of what the Village Hidden in the Leaves stood for.

The smoke rose in the air, making her tears hotter against her skin. She felt like a total failure, and each day she could feel her willpower slipping despite assuring Kurama inside her that she would keep going even if she died trying. Here she was, a prisoner in her own home, her friends and comrades fighting each other, the innocent people locked away and fearing for themselves, and Sasuke out there with a death warrant on his head.

What were the Akatsuki up to now?

 **God I am so exhausted I can't stand it. Focused solely on a summary of her life before now, before we get to the big business. XD This story is going to work no matter how short or how long it is, I'm sure of it.**

 **Besides Robin Hood and Killer Bee Rappuden, "Vespertine" by Cynchick (a beloved favorite of the ItaSaku pairing) also had a part in this, specifically with how Konoha is under Danzo towards the end. And onward to the importance this story will take place.**

 **I really never thought I would say such things, because of how my life is going lately, and despite my dedication to my work, I'm really struggling especially with certain ways I want my stories to go.**

 **Readers sometimes say this doesn't feel natural, this moment is forced, they don't understand character motivations - they ask for too much. They think and feel different than the author does. I still stand on what I had laid the moment I became a member three years ago: I feel the commitment I put in here, so I'd hoped the ones reading will feel the same.**

 **Bottom line: please don't ask too much of me this time.**

 **Anyhoo, review please and NO flames.**


	2. Itachi: The New Akatsuki Leader

**First I want to say I am sorry if I sounded like a bratty bitch at the end of the last chapter. My life is taking a toll on me as of late.**

 **Anyhoo, Itachi leader of the Akatsuki. That takes a lot of effort to develop in order to make it different than usual, apart from canon. Konan and Kisame obviously live, and that calls for who else will be involved... (finger to temple, thinks hard) XD**

Chapter Two

Itachi: The New Akatsuki Leader

With the position the Leaf Village was in, he couldn't just stand by anymore.

He lost contact after the war hawk took over; that was when new plans were made with the "help" of the ones who were now beneath him, because who dared mess with Itachi of the Sharingan? And this was based on the fact one was his partner who took his word of raising a hand against a comrade seriously, another who was brilliant but nowhere near to beat him when he refused to join the Akatsuki, and another who served as only the eyes and ears for the organization.

The fourth was seldom a participant these days, working to make her village a better place, less dominated by fear and out of understanding - because of the one who swayed her comrade. When he heard Naru Uzumaki changed Pain's heart, he was beyond impressed.

 _She reminds me too much of Shisui._

That girl who carried the Nine-Tailed Fox, whom he and his partner were ordered to capture for the Gedo Statue - which was now shoved to the farthest reaches in their base, for a better purpose than its founder's - had the same soul as his martyred best friend, the kind that would change the world when so many before her failed. Though Shisui gave up when Danzo took his eye, entrusted his remaining to HIM, and it meant he would have to pass it on to someone who shared the dream.

He was beginning to think about _who_ that would be - and that day came when he encountered her while she was out on retrieval of his brother. He saw the changes in her from three years prior, the interesting jutsu she mastered, seeing a youthful spark and determination - but had it faded now in the past year?

He asked her why she was so obsessed with his brother, who was now nothing more than a rogue Shinobi. These were her words:

 _"We may not be blood, but Sasuke is more of a brother to me than YOU ever were!"_

She sealed everything: she was the one.

~o~

 _"I'm aware you want to take Sasuke back with you to Konoha, but tell me: what if it doesn't go the way you want?" he asked the girl as he stood a good distance from her, shrouded by his crows while many more surrounded her in an endless spiral against the mass of blue and blood-orange._

 _"I don't see it going any wrong than it already is," she retorted. "I'll do anything to keep it that way."_

 _"Even taking him by force?" Itachi questioned. If she was lucky, Sasuke could just easily return with her to the village, but with the way he progressed now - including killing Orochimaru and leaving the one thing left which he lived his whole life for - it sounded unlikely. It could mean that Sasuke were to attack the Leaf Village...after he finished his brother off, of course..._

 _When he asked her this, her eyes widened with shock, but trying to push back the possibility. "What...no, Sasuke could never do something like that!" Naru insisted heatedly._

 _She was such a naïve one. "Sasuke is still a blank canvas. He can easily be dyed to any color. If he were to attack, what would you do? Could you weigh him against the village on a set of scales?"_

 _Angrily, she shoved aside her cloak as a sign of frustration past the limits, her words matching._

 _"I will defend the village and find a way to stop Sasuke without killing him!"_

 _"You're such a child," he said, contempt dripping from his words, half-believing himself and the other half inclined to agree with her. "All your tales are nothing but mere fantasies. You can't be a Shinobi based on solely ideals. You must be capable of making very harsh decisions." Although he knew that it wasn't going to stop her, but would it at least make her open her mind up to the knowledge that not everything would go the way she envisioned?_

 _"...someone else once tried to tell me the same thing. As far as I'm concerned, there is NO choice.. But I made a promise and I never break it. That's my_ nindo - _my Ninja Way!" Naru shouted, her lips pulling back like a feral fox...just like the one inside her._

 _He'd seen such ferocity before, but in her, she was strong-willed as both her parents. She was the only one left who seemed to believe she could save his brother from the darkness, so he chose now to give her the crow which carried what Shisui left him._

 _If Sasuke wouldn't bend to her, then this would help him see reason. Although Itachi hoped the day wouldn't come._

~o~

The day hadn't yet come, but something else had. It wasn't Itachi's death, but if he had, he wouldn't be here today.

His fellow remaining Akatsuki need not know - at least not until the village was reclaimed, which wouldn't be easy. It never was. But he was certain it would work with the right help they would get. When he told his plan to the others, they were far from ecstatic when he had the authority to say that this was exactly what would happen. "Seriously, we're going to SAVE the Leaf Village?!" Deidara exclaimed, pouting and folding his arms across his chest, earning a toothy grin from Kisame.

"Well, soft side finally coming to the open for your old home, eh, Itachi?"

"It's not like that," he said with a pinch of the bridge of his nose. "It concerns the Nine-Tails _Jinchuuriki_. Then we worry about the rest of the details."

So he related all the details following Great Leader's attack and eventual demise: the Fifth Hokage was rendered comatose, leaving him without any trusted contacts to keep tabs on Naru and the welfare of Konoha. However, he sent crows hovering and covering chakra tracks, reporting back to him - and all of it grim and worse than ever. Not only was Naru locked away for lashing against the imprisonment of the Godaime who was like a guardian to her, but the division of Jounin and ANBU underneath the Hokage. _Now a tyranny which I never wished on any of the civilians or even comrades._

"Whether you agree or not is none of my concern, because the Akatsuki are on the brink of a new age. The captured tailed beasts should be returned in the future, but right now are more pressing concerns."

Onward, he explained that Danzo Shimura was unworthy to be Hokage, and from the word that was around the surrounding nations, he needed to be removed by force. This time he was unafraid of spilling blood, because this man was one who played a part in destroying his life as well as Sasuke's.

And so here he said: "I'm going to get a coded message out to the Kazekage's exclusive eyes only."

When his crow would leave it outside the office window of the leader of the Sand Village, it was picked up and intercepted in no time. It didn't take long for Itachi to read the reply that Gaara agreed to meet him. The Uchiha would come alone, but he wouldn't hold the Kazekage to those restrictions.

Surrounded by desert gave Sunagakure the advantage of resistance against invasion; this meant outside powers wouldn't be able to completely tolerate the sandstorms and limited water systems. Not only that, but the surrounding fortress was filled with many passageways in and out, even going out to cliffs which made it difficult for ground attacks.

They met at the village gates, with him being alone as promised - or rather, a shadow clone of himself. "Itachi Uchiha," the red-haired young man stated as he stood accompanied by both of his siblings. "To what do we owe the unwanted pleasure?"

"It doesn't take me to say that it directly involves a certain Naru Uzumaki."

The mention of his friend and fellow _Jinchuuriki_ \- or should he say, the Kazekage was the former One-Tails vessel - piqued immediate attention. "Naru," was all Gaara could say. "Yes, the Hokage has her imprisoned for attempting to renege against him and the village, but I've doubted it from the beginning. Only we cannot act against our 'allies' -" Itachi heard the air quotations because while he was proud to be, he loathed because of the current leader. "- just so rashly. At least, there is no alternative to receive the help we can get."

"With that, what brings you here, Itachi of the Sharingan?" Temari asked, eyes glittering like the sea, calm but cruel. "When you have the guts to come here yourself after one of your own took Gaara - and for the assault on Killer Bee of the Hidden Cloud Village?"

"Yes, I played part in both, but I am not here for repeats," Itachi said. "Ever since our leader died, defeated by none other than Naru, I have assumed leadership to amend the Akatsuki. In the future we will return all tailed beasts, but as of now, there is something far more pressing which is infiltrating the heavily fortified Leaf Village to retrieve the captive Kyuubi vessel herself."

It was common knowledge that after Lady Tsunade went comatose and then vanished, likely pronounced dead, Danzo Shimura sent the village into a warzone which included his Root Foundation operating as a shadow of fear, keeping civilians in line rather than simply apprehending criminals. Jounin were divided. And the two counselors - who also knew what really happened behind the Uchiha massacre - were killed by Danzo when they were wary of his methods.

Itachi finished this small report with Naru, the last hope and the heroine who took down Pain: "She was locked up when she found out about the death warrant on my brother whom she still considers a friend despite everything, even the removal of Lady Fifth, so she's the key to removing Danzo. That is the first honest step for the Akatsuki."

It seemed he got through to all three of them. It made him smile slightly if Gaara was doing just that - and it also took him putting them into the mild _genjutsu_ to show his memories and knowledge, sans the reason behind his rogue status, to see he wasn't lying to them.

" _Genjutsu_ isn't just manipulating to advantage, but it is still up to the affected to decide whether or not I am telling the truth," Itachi told the trio when it was all over.

The Godaime Kazekage looked at him with a hard, piercing gaze. "I did not appreciate that in the slightest, Uchiha. Using visual prowess on another highly indicates hostility."

"Yeah, while I agree, I'm willing to go on a little faith," Kankuro stated with a grunt. "No choice but to agree with him, assuming he can keep what's left of the Akatsuki in check."

Itachi chuckled once before reverting back to serious. "I assure you, they will think twice before turning on me, but they understand well even if they don't relish this. So, do you three agree to this proposition in assisting with rescuing Naru?" he asked.

The final verdict from these three in front of him was yes, of course, and so his job was done. But that meant they had to take it up with the Council. He would gladly wait for the answer within the week.

His shadow clone dispersed into crows to take off into flight. "It's done," he said to the grumbling Deidara, the sniggering Kisame and the back and forth Zetsu, regarding the official edict: they were going to get Naru themselves.

~o~

Another matter that immensely troubled him was his brother, of course.

Sasuke was no longer the child he remembered, and he was tripled from the young teenager he put under Tsukuyomi and made him leave his village and his friends. He never would have thought it would have come to the way it was now. _It wasn't supposed to happen._

Why would he just forsake his comrades, then defeat Orochimaru only to take over Otogakure in his stead? Unless that was his way of equipping himself with everything he would need for the day that would come. Itachi considered that perhaps it wouldn't end with his death after all, and that he should kill his brother himself even if it pained him.

But that also meant Naru would loathe him more than she did already. So he put all thoughts of Sasuke aside for now until she was safely away from Danzo's clutches.

He, Kisame and Deidara were all atop a giant clay bird as they took flight near the clouds, careful not to exceed oxygen level but enough to be mistaken as part of the late night flock which were his own crows. Late night flights of birds were common occurrences.

"So the fox is in the mouth of the mountain, is she?" Kisame asked as he surveyed the landscape which was a quiet, dreary place with some smoke in places. "Looking down at her precious village as it is slowly reduced to rubble. How does it feel to see it this way, Itachi?"

"You wouldn't understand," he replied, thinking, _Hurts more than words can explain._

Deidara snorted. "Well, if you ask me, this is too boring to be called art. Just wait until I burst that cage open and then we haul out of there like tailless critters." His comment earned a lift of Samehada as a warning, but that made him stick his tongue out.

And the explosion was likely to alert both factions of the Black Ops. There would also be security hidden within Danzo's mountain face. Seeing the repulsion made him narrow his blood-red eyes - just as it sickened his stomach to see the figure behind those bars, yelling at the top of her lungs that they were going to be sorry for everything they were doing.

 _Just wait a little longer...Naru._

 **In other words, Itachi is NOT sick this time. We're pretending he isn't, which has been done before. I also recently finally found out in the new English set of Shippuden from BLACK ZETSU that all those trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi would eventually, over the years, become shadows of their former selves (i.e. WHITE ZETSU). Cuing my demonic rage like the time I first saw Kabuto summon Itachi-kun and the other Akatsuki.**

 **Then it cut to Madara being absorbed by Black Zetsu, and thus KAGUYA DEBUTS. That's where I anxiously await the next set, and who knows when that will be. But at least I also was happy to see Itachi Shinden after an eternity of waiting. :'D What I know already combined with new bits.**

 **So this time, Zetsu is just the eyes and ears. But it's nothing new either.**

 **Sasuke is head of the Hidden Sound Village, like another fic I read such a long time ago, but I can't remember what happened exactly, what it's name was or who wrote it. But I still yet don't know what he's up to before he and his brother face off (maybe), or if he ended up being anything like Orochimaru.**

 **Review. :)**


	3. Unlikely Alliances: Naru's Rescue

Chapter Three

Unlikely Alliances: Naru's Rescue

The moment she asked the stupid fox what his name was, it was the beginning of their understanding and him telling her his origins, she started to feel that he spited being trapped in a dark place, but that didn't mean he had to hate so much. It was a miracle she was even alive after all those times she hated a person so much and almost killed them herself.

Her dead father had said he could rework the seal only once, and next time she sprouted Eight-Tails, there would be no one to keep her the way she was. So she needed all the help she could get.

She didn't even get to see what her own face looked like, but her entire body would be enveloped with such a powerful emanation of golden flames that licked all over. She didn't even own the long cloak that flared behind her; black markings swirled over her stomach and in other places along her body.

This was a controlled version of the Nine-Tails chakra, an advanced stage of the usage. It was called the Kyuubi Chakra Mode.

 _With this AND Sage Mode, I can be close to a goddess on earth!_

 _ **Don't go boasting now, runt. Look where that loud mouth landed you.**_

 _Yeah, yeah, but thanks to you, I can try and bust out anytime I want. Today was the day I mastered it, Kurama!_

The fox groaned. _**Yes, you did, and I'm taking all the credit - but don't you forget you wouldn't have made it to Sage if not for the toads,**_ Kurama said, clearing his throat.

Naru smiled at no one in particular. "If only Pervy Sage could see me now."

She let herself sink back to normal, but because she saw something she anxiously waited for that was the only highlight in this hellhole - _in the mouth of the enemy, what the hell_ \- which old man Danzo thought to just keep around for the hell of it, but she learned it was because he knew it was one of her weaknesses. In the early days of locking her up, she would scream and scream at them to let her out...

...only for her favorite Instant Ichiraku to be lowered from the top of the mountain before her cage. She had to be careful to avoid touching those bars because they were placed with sealing tags that suppressed the tailed beast.

But before she could grasp the steaming cup and chopsticks, the strings holding the tray suddenly jerked, and the entire thing fell to the bottom which was none other than the top of the Hokage Tower. Naru shrieked at the top of her lungs, ignoring the shouts above that intruders had come. _Maybe I should be happy that Captain Yamato and Sai aren't my guards after all. That old creep took two more of my friends away._

"NOOO, NOT MY RAMEN!"

She jumped back when the _intruders_ lowered themselves down before her entrapment, on a giant white bird that looked like it was made of clay. Angrily, she growled through her teeth at the sight of _those three._ "You guys!" Naru snarled, clenching her fists.

First was Kisame Hoshigaki, the shark man who threatened to cut her limbs off and devour her chakra.

And how could she forget that blond asshole - the one who kidnapped Gaara and hauled his temporary corpse around like it was nothing?

Last but certainly not least: _Itachi Uchiha._ The one she hated most of all of them. Pain she had because he destroyed her village, killed all her friends - but after understanding, he restored their lives at the cost of his own. This man...this one was responsible for what became of Sasuke, Orochimaru coming in second to first place.

"Well, look what we have here," Kisame said with a leer. "The _Jinchuuriki_ child herself."

Forgetting about her fallen ramen for the time being, Naru started. "I'm NOT a child, Fish Face," she snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "And what are you three doing here? Finally going to do to me what you all did to Gaara and the others like me?" _Now that my village is out of order under a tyrant who issues death on any who oppose him, limits free will, and what else is there? Oh, yes, sometimes burn down homes if it suits._

Deidara huffed and threw his ponytail behind his shoulder. "We're here to just spring you out, that's all, un. Your Kazekage friend hired us to rescue you from this living smoke bomb. So, you wanna stay here and die without release or come with us?"

 _What the...what the hell?_ Was this a sick joke? Were they trying to lure her into a false sense of security or what?! "Why would Gaara do such a thing after what you all did to him?"

"Naru," Itachi intoned sternly, "there is no time for questions. Do you want to stay here and die without hope - or come with us?"

Those were almost the exact words he said that day in the inn - and then Kurama interrupted. _**You don't see it in those red eyes of his that he means it? I can smell it off of him, Naru.**_

Now she found herself looking into those bloody eyes of his - those eyes that trapped you whether you looked in or not, the power in that one, single finger in addition - and she saw the beast meant it. Calm, collected, and devoid of any traps. She sensed his chakra, and that was when she noted how... _icy clean it was._ She didn't even think she'd have it in her to sense someone's essence like this! _It was all that time I spent training that I learned so much more without much help - except you, Kurama._

Naru grinned as a clever idea came to mind. "If I say yes, will you make up for knocking off my ramen?" she asked sweetly, which made her laugh now when she saw the dismay on the faces of Kisame and Deidara.

"Yes. As much as you want." How was it that Itachi gave in so easily? "Now step back so we can break this barrier. It clearly binds tailed beasts. Deidara!"

And there it was: one of those miniature animals - no, two - and they were shaped like little versions of the big bird the trio rode on...and the explosion blinded her vision but was enough to ensure the impact needed to shatter those bars and the tags. "Hurry, jump on, un!" Deidara shouted to her.

On impulse, she dashed forward and leaped on, and the bird was off into the night.

~o~

"The _Jinchuuriki_ escaped under our noses."

He stated it plainly and simply as he personally surveyed the damage done, but by the time he arrived following the sweep of the mountain - his face with the mouth modified to imprison that monster disguised as a mortal girl, who happened to be the child of the Yondaime - Naru Uzumaki was long gone. It was witnessed that a "great bird" had left the site, so no one had a clear look of the creature.

He hissed through his teeth. Someone sprung their _Jinchuuriki_ loose, and they were going to pay with their lives. And it was a good thing that there would be traces left behind for their sensors to identify, or their scientists who put the particles under the microscope.

Danzo shook his head, aware of the two behind him who he now wished he posted as the girl's guards - no, the _creature_. Because these two had been her friends and now back under his orders as long as he was Hokage of this village. Everything that had been Lord First and Second, then Hiruzen, Minato and finally Tsunade was now his. This was how you ran things: with the extremes to keep everyone in line. Especially the civilians.

Anyone who said otherwise would face imprisonment or death. Their one-time heroine was a prime example that dampened their spirits.

But now she was out there, and if she returned, he was certain he was finished. _I am still the Hokage, so there is still time._

But no one knew where Uzumaki was. That was why he turned to the pale boy. "Sai, you know what to do."

"Yes, Danzo-sama," Sai answered monotoned, difficult to read as ever. He trained the lad and others before and after him to be like this, so he didn't know if he should be on his guard. Same with Tenzou.

~o~

"So, why would Gaara agree to let you guys free me?"

Naru still couldn't believe that her friend - whom she was glad was still well and didn't forget about her - would agree to these criminals' terms, whatever they were, just to help her get away from her home which needed her more than ever, but Gaara must have had a reason. _Uchiha said they were changing their ways, but why should I believe so easily?_

 _ **Apparently you have no choice now. You have to keep going forward,**_ Kurama told her, wise as ever. The fox was right, so what was she going to do now that she was free at last?

Make the best of it, that was what. She still had enough of that left. Just like right now when they were in the air, and she saw the entire landscape if not even the tiniest details. It was a treat after being in prison for one year! If circumstances had been different, she would have been laughing and spreading her arms out on either side, shouting that she could fly. Besides, it wasn't like the red-eyed demon himself had a sense of humor, unlike Fish Face - but what about that blond bastard this thing belonged to?

When they got to the Sand Village, Gaara would explain everything once she was safely delivered. There was no doubt he and the Council would want to hear her side of the story before anything else.

"You should ask him that yourself once we get there," Deidara said smartly from the front, being the "driver" of this giant bird, "but he had no choice like we didn't when Itachi decided to interfere. Like I really care as long as I get to use my art!"

Kisame grunted. "Single-minded as always, he is," he told Naru. "'Art is an explosion' - I pitied Sasori when he was still among us. Makes you wonder how two different artists put up with each other."

"Same reason I put up with you all this time," Itachi said bluntly, eyes flickering over to where she and his partner were, and now that she thought of it, Naru wished she was seated close to him instead of the one with the nasty sword that hungered for chakra. Made her wish she had a special weapon like that, if it were compatible with her.

Deidara snickered at the exchange, then announced they made it to the spot that was promised to her, but they couldn't stay. Naru felt her soul lift at the sight of the Ichiraku stand on the mountain pass. It was world-famous; there wasn't another like it in the world, besides the one back in the Leaf. "You guys have to try it, too!"

~o~

The sight of the young woman aroused something in Itachi. His memories consisted of a round-faced, whiskered child in orange and blue with a long, messy mane of sunlit hair, then onward to a teenager who had cut her hair to her shoulders and switched to orange and black - but this time there was a significant change. Her clothing was dirty due to being locked up, but it appeared she still spent her time training with what limited resources she had; her weapons had been taken away from her.

He wanted to know how she maintained that newfound strength, since he detected a new fire in her eyes. _Even now, she doesn't let anything stop her._

Right now, they paused at none other than the Ichiraku stand, but they couldn't stay for long. No doubt Danzo had ANBU and Jounin looking for their missing _Jinchuuriki_.

"Makes you feel bad for those who haven't had a chance to enjoy ramen like this!" Naru said happily as she slurped down the sumptuous meal whilst Itachi was the opposite, Deidara taking his time at first before he eventually dug in, and Kisame snickered at the show.

"I didn't think I'd enjoy something as delicious as this!" he declared.

"Un, that's right! I feel like I could go for seconds!" Deidara agreed with a shine in his eyes as if he were on the topmost cloud in the sky.

Itachi gazed at how amazed Naru was when she looked upon the men from the organization who wanted her Kyuubi, then saved her from Danzo's clutches, but here they all were: enjoying a simple meal of world-famous noodles and miso, as if nothing was going on, but no one forgot the dire circumstances. He hadn't done anything like this in years, but when he and Kisame had only each other, they couldn't afford such luxuries. No one in Akatsuki could, but things were changing under his watch.

First hadn't been easy following the attack on his village. That meant when he heard that Pain attacked it, he had to deal with _Madara_ \- the man behind the god of Akatsuki's acts - so that he could take it from here. Enough was enough. It was no surprise that Madara, the man who had been his clan's leader and the other founder of the village who all but ended up erased from history yet survived his final fight with the future Shodaime Hokage, wouldn't go down without a fight.

Susano'o did the trick. The man outlived everything from his usefulness and his madness.

 _I needed help to finish our own people off on orders, since I couldn't do all of it alone. The only thing we ever had in common was that we loved our brothers...but mine isn't the one I remember. It's my fault, but it harkens much longer._

He knew that he and the girl - no, _woman_ \- would have to talk about Sasuke eventually, but right now wasn't a good time. And given how late it was, with one more day's journey that was tomorrow, it didn't hurt to pause someplace away from here for a night's rest. They would cross Fire Country's border when their meal was over. She had to be exhausted after the events.

"Can't believe you guys must have missed out on something like this," Naru told them after a second bowl, and that was as far as it would go. _But she must not have eaten much in the cell. Damn Danzo and those beneath him who treated her the way they did..._

"Yeah, we don't have anything like this where I'm from, and even if we did, indulgence is something we make for ourselves behind closed doors, un," Deidara stated, brows coming together to form a straight line. "Don't matter what it is either."

"And as for me, it's everywhere combined with competition to slew over," Kisame chimed in, pushing his empty bowl away.

Itachi by this time had halfway finished, his appetite lost until it was regained, having been more interested in listening rather than caring about his own stomach. "Never once caught my attention, but this..." He felt a slight tug in contrast to his own words. "...this puts a bit of a smile on my face."

Her face seemed to fall as she seemed to realize that these men were not the monsters she thought they were, but she didn't know everything. "Sorry to hear that," she said quietly, standing up and stretching. "This was all I could have in my life based on my allowance from old man Third would give me. I was always treated by Iruka-sensei who was like a big brother as well. I mean, who doesn't like to be treated by someone who makes you feel like you're family?" Her eyes glazed. "And I never knew what it was like to have a real family until I met him, Kakashi-sensei, Pervy Sa - I mean, Jiraiya-sensei," she added, earning snickers from Kisame and Deidara, Itachi giving a quiet smirk to one corner of his mouth. "And Sakura and the others."

She didn't even mention Sasuke's name, but it was there.

"...well, well, I think I see what she did to Zabuza and Haku so long ago," Kisame said finally, his face somber and distant. Deidara pursed his lips as if trying not to blubber.

Itachi, on the other hand, was stricken to his core and wouldn't show it. It was more than just a habit that he would confide with her on their own time. A leader should never reveal his inner demons even though he had history with his subordinates.

~o~

Too bad they wouldn't be back to this place even when they did go back to Konohagakure. She had such a great time that made everything worthwhile. She even felt so good telling the boys about herself, but when she asked about them, she got evasive answers, but it was hinted with two of them.

Deidara's old home had nothing but pleasure behind closed doors. _Must have been a bunch of prudes, or something like that._ "They didn't understand my style at all," he did say, however. "Just tolerated me, and only a handful really liked me - but it wasn't like those things triumph in the end. At least, I wasn't lucky in that department."

 _But it seems something else happened that caused him to defect, and he won't talk about it._

Kisame wouldn't either, though he said that he had no choice but to kill the members of his division due to their intel at risk of leakage - and the one they were up against had been none other than _Ibiki Morino._ Naru supposed she should have been angry since this was one of her own, but there would never be no history between her nation and theirs. To think she and Gaara had once been at odds.

That wasn't all: Kisame's superior had been the one selling out his own village to enemy nations, so the shark man murdered him and had no choice but to take Samehada for himself. To make matters worse, the Fourth Mizukage who was the vessel for the Three-Tailed Turtle at the time, rewarded him for his loyalty, but by then, he realized how much of a world he lived in. One that was filled with lies upon lies, which he loathed more than anything.

"If there is anything I prefer, it's honesty."

 _Just what I want in this world. What all of us should have if things should be better than they are now. At least we all get somewhere._

But that still left Itachi who didn't say a word and set to work on getting the fire ready.

 **Don't know what to say, but I am so happy so far. XD Thank you all for your support so far! Feedback appreciated as ever.**


	4. Attack! Spice of the Skirmish!

**Title inspired by "Attack! Fury of the Rasengan!" from Part One. XD When Naruto defends Tsunade against Kabuto - with his father's technique.**

 **I wanna say thank you for all the support this has received, but as for those who say that because this is femNaruto: I chose to keep Naruto in the filter because this character is essentially SHORT for Naruto, due to her being born a girl in this timeline. Also, Naruko sounds weird to me even though it's feminine form. Sorry, but that's just the way it is to me.**

 **If anyone is happy with the Naruko name, you can also check out my modern oneshot "The Brightest Star Will Come Out". :)**

Chapter Four

Attack! Spice of the Skirmish!

He wasted no time having the results brought to him personally, and it turned out that the traces left behind contained none other than _C1_. He narrowed his eye as the conclusion was under their noses only to come before their eyes.

 _The Akatsuki member Deidara, formerly of Iwagakure._

Which meant the Akatsuki now had Uzumaki, to no doubt extract her tailed beast. It was a greater threat to his power than before. That also meant... _Itachi will return once again._

If they had the Kyuubi, that left one more tailed beast. This wasn't going to play for his advantage, unless the first Allied Shinobi Force would come into play against the terrorists led by Itachi Uchiha, as well as Otogakure under his younger brother, and during a new Five Kage Summit that he would have to call on his own. There had been none before when he first became Hokage, as the other villages kept their _Jinchuuriki_ locked away for measure, except the Godaime Kazekage who was the youngest in their history was a former vessel himself. His village should have kept him on the leash if to prevent the Akatsuki from taking him before.

If Itachi would be back, then there was one thing he could do without having the need to ask any of the Jounin's permission, since they did not make such decisions. He would leave it to his Black Ops to seek out the one he needed for his plans.

Sai did not yet have Naru's location; the boy sent a clone and ink animals in his own place, which was a nuisance in itself. But perhaps this could benefit as there was three of them and the girl, so a surprise attack once the location was spotted was enough.

On the other hand, he wasn't going to take any chances.

He was at his desk when he was finished with his letter that he would get his bat to deliver - to the one he would pit against Itachi and Naru when the time was right. Danzo was prepared for resistance firsthand if it came to that.

~o~

Naru and his subordinates conversing while he got the fire ready - it was a sight that made him secretly smile. But he couldn't afford to spill his secrets except to her, in order for them to move forward with understanding, since she reminded him of Shisui.

Only she would have to be persuaded that she could not breathe a word to anyone without any solidarity. He wouldn't be surprised if Danzo destroyed the evidence in ANBU ever since taking office, and that was for the best, perhaps. Once he helped Naru, he would return to exile for the rest of his days. The Akatsuki needed a purpose.

The group was camped underneath a great tree steered clear from the forest of the border they crossed. However, as he listened to them - especially Kisame - he wished that he could have said something that didn't expose everything, but his partner was the closest of a friend he could have called if they warned each other to watch their backs.

Deidara he could have, but the bomber was too single-minded. _But here we have Naru working her magic..._

"What has been going on since I was locked up?" she asked.

Now Itachi would speak for all of them. "Many things. But with the Akatsuki, ever since Great Leader Pain died, it has been only the three of us - and one more who is only our eyes and ears. Tomorrow we have to rendezvous with him before we arrive at the Sand Village." He smoothed out the front of his cloak as he took his place across her and Deidara, Kisame alongside the Uchiha. "However, I have also done the job of keeping tabs on the Leaf Village with my crows, and what I have to tell you is precarious and devastating."

Her gaze hardened. "You don't have to say anything much. I know my fellow Shinobi are split up, but I don't want to know who among who -"

"The Hyuuga sided with Danzo," he interrupted, "but did you know that?"

Her face was frozen in shock, but she said nothing. Not that she needed to. He went on. "However, the majority are quietly planning to overthrow him, but it won't be easy as long as he has his Root foundation at disposal - as well as the Hyuuga. And he won't hesitate to eliminate any of your friends if he found they were meeting in secret. So now that we have you, and if the Kazekage gets his people to accept, we have an advantage."

 _It could look up, but now isn't the time to be lax._

"Yeah, you're right!" Naru said, smiling, though her brows were in that scowl. "I'm out of there, and wait till that crazy old man see us when Gaara gets everyone with him."

Kisame shifted, stretching his arm out with Samehada as a small means to exercise his muscle. "I would watch what I say, because we haven't reached the Sand Village yet." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You think I don't know that? I know Gaara, and he can do just what I did to him when he attacked us at the Chuunin Exams."

No doubting the truth and wisdom of those words. "I've met with your friend to know you are right," Itachi said, looking into the flickering amber of the flames. "In fact, he was distrusting because he had every right to be. As were his brother and sister. Though I convinced them we had better intentions to amend the mistakes of the past."

She looked at him with something akin to suspicion. "Yeah, elaborate on what you meant when you said Akatsuki was rectifying."

"He means that we don't collect the tailed beasts anymore," Deidara answered, wrinkling his nose and then softening it. "They are going to be given back in the future, but something else to worry about. I didn't even sign up for this hero stuff. Not like we've been treated like this for years, remember?"

Itachi closed his eyes to the word hero.

Hissing, Naru spat, and it caused the fire to flash brighter. "That's gonna change. I promise to all of you." With that, she picked up a kunai that was laying on the ground - it was one of Deidara's, as he was polishing them - and she did the one thing a sane Shinobi would never do at an inopportune time.

She ran the sharp point across her palm, drawing dark red blood that dripped onto the earth. "I swear on my blood that we're all going to make this together - no matter any promises of death - and we avenge ourselves as well as my village...and those who died under Danzo's rule!" She closed her fingers into a fist and raised it as the final nail to the coffin.

Kisame looked upon her declaration with a mixture of stun and admiration. Deidara was no different than he was that day Itachi had him under the _genjutsu_.

The Uchiha himself felt his own blood boil with mixed reaction as he watched the woman cut herself for the oath in her life's fluid which continued to flow across her fair skin and onto the ground at her feet.

It was then that another voice cut through the air, startling all four of them to alert and assuming the position. Itachi activated his eyes, standing before all of them. Kisame put his hand on Samehada's handle, Deidara slapped both his hands and then showed off the gaping jaws in the palms, and Naru raised that still-bloodied knife in her hand - _as I thought, her eyes! She's mastered Sage Mode! I'm impressed more than I was before_ \- but then she lowered her stance when she recognized who stepped out and called her name.

"Do you always cut yourself when you make a promise? I don't recall you doing that when we were a team."

"S-SAI?!"

~o~

 _Danzo sent him, so be on your guard._ Her hand stung a little from the cut, but it was nothing.

 _ **Well, at least let me heal that up for you, runt.**_

 _Go on ahead._ She felt the skin pull together and seal. "That snake sent you," she stated through her teeth. He looked at her with a sad expression - guilt? He couldn't even act against his superior if he wanted to, but here he was.

He nodded. "He did...but I'm not here to bring you back. I've made the choice on my own. I did come to warn you once I found where you were." Then his attention shifted to the boys, Fish Face grinning at him but ready to cut him to pieces if he wanted to, Deidara not trusting him in the slightest, but Itachi eyed him inquisitively to see whether or not he could be trusted.

Though Naru saw that he meant it. She knew him long enough, and she could see those extras coming, but they were far behind him. He had no idea, did he? "They're not going to take me for devious measure," she assured her old teammate. "In fact, they proved it so far without trying too much."

"Un, so what use would she be dead?" Deidara huffed. Sai only looked at him without a blink before looking back at her.

"I suppose if she trusts you, then I will for her sake. Naru, I want you to go wherever you are now and to come back so you can save our village. You moralized our people," he went on, "so they need you more than ever now that they know you have gotten away."

There was that smile - the smile which he still had no idea how to feel about, but he meant it because he knew its symbolism based on his reading. "You got it, Sai," Naru said, turning to look at Itachi and the others. "We're going to Gaara."

"If you could, you must tell your fellow Jounin, but only those you trust," Itachi said sternly. "Think of this as a covert operation between loyalists."

Sai nodded. "Understood."

By this time, the backup ANBU were coming in, and she thought of an idea that could work which didn't involve killing any of them. Even though they were under Danzo's wing, she didn't believe in killing fellow Konoha ninja. "Step aside, boys, and let me do the work," she declared, and so weaved the hand signs, shouting the transformation and focusing all her chakra to burst into the puff of smoke around herself...

...and when it cleared, what was left was none other than Naru Uzumaki in her glory, except it wasn't like she actually stripped down to show her body. Because where would she have the time now?

This jutsu brought back the good memories of when she pranked Iruka-sensei, then Ebisu and Pervy Sage - sometimes others who would smack her back to the reality, because not every man would fall for the trick - and this time felt refreshing, because now she used it without the need for blood. _And to see how the boys get a load of this!_

Then she was twelve years old, finished puberty, but the Sexy Jutsu had a mature, curvaceous version of herself; now at her age, it was advanced to her real liking that no man got to see, but they were welcomed to guess without knowing how TRUE it was.

The smoke eventually cleared away to show her ample breasts, her hourglass hips and of course the other part that made her female, which the men didn't get to see other than her heart-shaped backside, though when she turned to glance at them from the corner of her eye, Naru found she enjoyed every single one of their reactions:

Deidara got so pink and his eyes turned into white balls.

Kisame sniggered and commented that she was more of a bad girl than he thought she was.

Of course it was expected that Sai gave no reaction since he'd seen the jutsu before - that one time Konohamaru and a shadow clone of his formed the new edition - and Itachi of course turned his face to the side as a sign of respect. _**Doesn't want to see something best reserved for man and woman behind closed doors; he's not uninterested in the slightest.**_

And of course it resulted in two of them going down with nosebleeds, but the others - five in counting - resisted and came at them with swords unsheathed.

"Oh, brimming with chakra - but all too easy," Kisame said, brandishing Samehada against a man in a boar's mask. "We really should be going, but you are all nuisances."

"I'm going to get us out of here!" Deidara yelled, unleashing his giant bird once again and leaping aboard. "We're gonna get the hell away!"

Angrily, Naru reverted back to herself and unleashed Sage Mode. Her eyes turned yellow with the outer orange pigments, and the black minus-like pupil. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" she shouted, ignoring Itachi effortlessly dodging another man in a mask and Sai risking his own skin just to help them. When her clone came to being, it was time to form the greatest masterpiece that would disable the last of the ANBU so they could get away.

"GIANT RASENGAN!"

The great ball of whirling blue made its way to the ground, causing the earth to rumble and send everyone off their feet - but she jumped onto the bird with Deidara, shouting at Itachi and Kisame to come on. _Shouldn't have stopped after all. But we're not wasting anymore time now. When we get to Suna, I'm going to have a long-day sleep after this!_

"Take care of yourself and the others, Sai!" she shouted, and when the rest of the boys were with her, they were going off ahead while the moon was still shining. The fire made had been burnt out because the earth shattered its setup into pieces.

~o~

He knew they were all coming, yet he didn't alert them on his own. She had Sage Mode, so she made the move on her own even as her friend arrived and said he had no intention of revealing where she was, at the cost of his own life if he had to.

 _She really has matured, if I never say it enough._

Although he had no idea what to make of this...interesting jutsu of hers which caused her to appear naked and the sensitive parts covered with smoke - until they cleared to show those aspects which he had no business seeing at this time. He didn't deserve the pleasure of such treats for the eyes...especially when it came to her. The one who made it clear she hated him, blamed him for Sasuke, which she had every right to.

Why did it bother him so much?

"Damn, that was a hell of an explosion," Deidara said, his skin still flushed, "but why did you have to use a jutsu like THAT?! It should be classified as forbidden!"

She laughed and threw her hair behind her shoulders. "It's a technique I invented before I became a Genin. I had great times using it on Iruka-sensei, anyone who got in my way, and of course, Jiraiya-sensei," Naru answered, sitting down and resting on her knees as she looked over the landscape, perched beside Itachi. "I had many nosebleeds made from most of them."

"...hn."

Itachi wasn't laughing, but the grunt was as close as it could get, at the images conjured up as he envisioned young Naru being more reckless with the technique she called the "Sexy Jutsu". Unbidden, he wondered if she looked the same as the illusion...

Kisame always had a reason to laugh at something himself. "It's a shame it won't work especially on the ones with less of a drive. Your friend didn't seem to have a care, for one."

Her face fell. "Sai has been an underling of Danzo for as long as he could remember, and that's all I know about him. He also had a brother whom he lost, who he was forced to fight, and then he died because he was very, very sick." Her voice sounded tight as if her vocal cords were strained. But the talk of her pale friend - _he looks too much like Sasuke_ \- and his brother made the Akatsuki leader stiffen and turn to look at her from the corner.

 _Someone who didn't understand what it was like to have bonds, forgot what it was like, because that's Danzo's manipulation of his subordinates. I remember everything...what he made me and Shisui do..._

So he understood the emotionless young man who promised that he wouldn't betray Naru, that he would go back and report to whoever left was loyal to the true Konohagakure until she would come back.

Maybe some hours passed by without anymore stops, and it wasn't long before they flew over none other than River Country - where Akatsuki hiding places were abandoned, their new one waiting for its occupants to return - and then serene earth and water gave way to dry, arid sand mass.

 **So, I have been brainstorming how to get Itachi and Naru to not only talk about Sasuke, but the truth about the massacre. The question is whether or not he and his fellow Akatsuki are allowed to temporarily stay with their girl before we get back to serious business...I would love a suggestion if anyone has any. :)**

 **Feedback always appreciated!**


	5. Friends and Enemies

**Hope the wait was worth it. I also started a new fic called The Exorcism of Sarada Uchiha (inspired by the horror classic The Exorcist). :)**

 **Based on a couple reviews, whom I thank very much, I came to a good final decision without spoiling the surprise.**

Chapter Five

Friends and Enemies

 _I hope Sai isn't going to die if Danzo figures everything out._

 _ **He ought to be living and breathing if he's survived that insane geezer for this long.**_

There was going to be no more stops; they had arrived in Wind Country. The sand dunes and rocky mountains were in vision range. The moon was quarter full and shining down on them as well as the landscape. This sure brought back the memories, when she and co. went to save Gaara - from this guy on the bird and Sasori whom Sakura owned like the hellcat she was.

Although this was different. And she still hated Deidara for last time, but now she could see him in a new light. If Gaara didn't like this anymore than she did - _how the hell did Itachi convince him, anyway? Oh, hell, he'll tell me when I get there_ \- then she was rolling, knowing they were all not that bad...but that left one more. The red-eyed demon himself.

If he had something to say - especially about that night - then he wanted to talk in private. Part of Naru was worried that chance would be deprived. If Gaara could let them stay, hidden from plain sight that was, she could try and get herself and Itachi alone so she could make him open his mouth.

 _Kisame and Deidara first...Itachi must have not had a choice._

Kurama chortled. _**Figuring it out now, are you, runt? Without anyone's help.**_

She still didn't understand how those damned ANBU worked, but she was sure that back in Granny's day as well as old man Third and on, the Black Ops were nothing like the way Danzo had his function. The Root came at you with intent to kill, and to think SAI had been like that made her skin crawl and her heart freeze.

It had been fun to let loose the Sexy Jutsu, and to see the guys' reactions made her night.

Itachi hadn't looked at her much, but he made it clear that he was impressed with her development. Something she NEVER got from his brother...he had acknowledged her, just like everyone else...

Suddenly, it was clear to her that she liked his approval more than she could have asked from Sasuke.

 _But that changes nothing as long as I don't know anything else._

"Whoa, we've made it!" Deidara announced just as the raised compound of Sunagakure itself. The windstorms were getting into play, which meant they had to hurry up before it got worse - and that was when she saw THEM as soon as she entered Sage Mode just to detect. "Well, we will be off and back tomorrow. Got some scouting to do and then be back to let you know what's new," he added when he brought the bird down for her to jump off. Now that she was off, Naru had no idea if she could deal with the boys being gone, after spending a short time getting to know them except one.

"Naru, there you are!" There was Temari, who didn't look like she changed much except for the outfit, and there was also Kankuro. "And I thought these guys wouldn't keep their promise." _Of course, and I wouldn't have blamed you._

"She was doom and gloom," Kankuro said with a curt nod and a smirk tugging one corner of his mouth. He glanced at the three men on the great bird. "What are you going to do now that you held your end of the deal?"

"We're going back out," Itachi replied. "Gather more intel and to keep her safe from Danzo and his spies. Which is left to you. We were affronted before arrival."

All attention was on her now. "Y-yeah, a friend of mine was sent after me, but he wasn't going to give it away. Though five more came after, and I did a good jutsu to send them bleeding through their noses on the ground," she said with a wink that caused everyone but Gaara to be dumbfounded. "It's a surprise you men shouldn't get worked up about. It spoils the fun."

Gaara blinked then and there. "I won't pretend I don't know which one that is," he said finally. He cleared his throat. "Well, I thank you for bringing her. Naru, I'm pleased you're safe. Although I wish you all could stay for the night after all that's happened. But I assume the Hokage will eventually call for action, such as a summit..."

Naru felt her spine crawl beneath her skin. _A summit...?_

Itachi closed his eyes. "I assumed. Which is why we will leave Naru for now until it gets worse."

"Keep us updated," Gaara replied with a single nod, which Itachi returned, and then the bird was off, not before she got shouts down from each Akatsuki she suddenly missed.

"You had better take care of yourself, kid!" That was Kisame, making her laugh a little.

"Un, and when you see us again, there's hell to explode!" Deidara crowed.

Last of all, the man himself: "Naru, swear you will stay here and not leave for any reason unless you are in peril. We cannot risk Danzo coming after you again, and this time instead of imprisonment will be far worse."

"Then take care, all of you," she said, putting her hand over her chest and feeling how it was beating faster than usual. On instinct, she closed it and grasped at her torn orange vest because she had no idea how to think about this feeling...this feeling of extreme care...

The bird was gone and taking off into the shining moon, or at least that was what it looked like. She turned to look back at Gaara and his siblings. The Kazekage extended his hand in the opposite direction to go first, to take the steps down from this compound entrance. "I'll do the job of showing her to where she'll be," Temari said with a gleam. "How do you feel about rooming with ME?"

 _It feels so good to be back here. Nice and cool, if it looks rough sometimes._

"Roomie, is it?" she teased the other blonde as soon as they were inside. Yawning, she hadn't realized how _exhausted_ she really was.

"I've already done that, so why don't you go clean yourself up and I can bring you something to eat?"

"Thanks, but me and the guys had ramen on a mountain stand before we got here," Naru answered. "Just want to sleep."

Temari laughed, shrugging off her gear. "Tomorrow there will be more ramen since Gaara made sure of it. When it's just us, he goes on about sharing a drink and ramen with you. 'When she becomes Hokage, I want to ask her to go for a drink with me', he said." She burst out laughing heartily that Naru joined in. It was such a great relief after all this trash that happened to her. Freedom was awesome!

But while she was here, the innocent people of Konoha, her friends and all the Jounin were suffering and fighting to hold on. She wasn't going to be here forever. Right now she was going to take it easy. "I'll be sure to tell him the answer is yes," Naru stated proudly, unzipping her vest and then pushing off her pants. They really needed a fixing up, which Temari noticed and walked over to take from her.

"We have a great seamstress to handle this. You'll have it back at the end of tomorrow." The teal-eyed woman then nodded to the wardrobe she had which was surprisingly made of wood, one of the few elements that survived this land of heat and dust. "I got a dress for you."

This thing she held up, still in her undershorts and fishnet shirt, was nothing she'd worn herself before. It was white, the bust lined to accommodate her chest, and the skirt having a slit to show enough leg if not ALL. "Uh...thanks?" she said uncertainly.

Temari laughed and took it from her to hold in front of her. "Yeah, more for you than me after all. Take it from me!" she said cheerfully.

Naru took it from her and made way for the section behind the _shoji_ screen, which was none other than the bathing spot. Water systems were limited because it was a mass of desert, obviously. Plant life was preserved for medicinal and food purposes, and there were only two great water sources available for the people living near them. That meant she couldn't use too much or linger too long. But she flinched when she smelled how bad she was.

"You're going to need all you can, then," Temari told her when she showed her what was there, and it was more than Naru could have imagined for herself. This was all paradise before her eyes. "We're still trying to make things better for this village, and it's sad that those at the bottom don't always get something sweet as this." And by that, she meant those who got the best were her, her brothers and their advisors. Basically anyone important.

A few things were the candles which smelled of creamy vanilla along with exotic sandalwood - and holy cow, it was the best thing she smelled when they were all lit up!

Not all: there was a bathing gel, soap bar as well as hair essentials to go with. All smelled of APPLES. "Just for the woman who simply enjoys relaxation and nothing else," she said to no one in particular as she laid back, hair washed out and until the cool water became lukewarm. Naru closed her eyes and laid back to enjoy paradise.

She never knew anything like THIS, not even the kind from the hot springs she visited with her friends and Pervy Sage, at least not bathing wise. Did they have anything like that in public here in Sand? _If only the boys were here and then they would have had their share._

Her nipples unexpectedly grew hard when a pair of red eyes came to mind, but they belonged to an Uchiha who didn't call her a loser and tried to actually kill her multiple times.

Because now that she thought of it, if Itachi really wanted her dead, he would have done what his brother did to her and Sakura.

~o~

"You found her, but she and the Akatsuki got away. And the others have informed me of a...scandalous jutsu that caused two of them to bleed through the noses." And the rest as well as Sai's clone were cut off for a retreat. Now they had no idea where the _Jinchuuriki_ and her captors had gone now.

Or did his supposed most trusted know and wasn't going to divulge, even after all these years?

"Yes, and like I said, I was cut off," the boy repeated calmly, "so I wish I could send out more ink beasts to track them, but Deidara of the Akatsuki is often untraceable. No one even knows where their new base is."

"Indeed," Danzo agreed, irritated internally. "Or perhaps you yourself should have gone in person like I told you to."

The youth bowed his head and said nothing. _You young fool, your feelings for the_ Jinchuuriki _are warping you - just as the other girl has._ "I'm willing to give you a second chance, my loyal subordinate, although...I find myself rather suspicious, but it's nothing you don't expect of me." And by that, he referred to the fact that he was certain Sai was keeping something from him, just as he had been from the time he let the boy be on Team Seven when Sasuke Uchiha deserted the village. So that he could eliminate that traitor without getting Itachi to betray him as he threatened that night...

Now he had the Nine-Tails girl in his grasp. Both of them had to be eliminated once and for all, after one served his purpose.

Back to the present: "Perhaps this can convince you." With that, he snapped his fingers, and out brought was none other than the Yamanaka girl - and that provoked the shocked look from his subordinate, making him smirk to one corner of his mouth.

He allowed Sai to freely roam the village as long as he was still trustworthy as ever - although it came to Torune reporting back to his master that the boy would join atop the mountains by chance with Inoichi's daughter that the perfect leverage in the event of betrayal presented itself. And the time had come now. "Lord Danzo!" Sai said, at a loss for words.

"I honestly thought I drilled you better than this, Sai, but it seems I had misgivings after all. Likely you are telling the truth, but then again, you are protecting her and therefore jeopardizing this village. Thus until I find out, I'm going to keep you both under lockdown so that it would serve as an example to keep the other Shinobi in line."

What transpired was something he never expected to hear, but perhaps from the girl. "You just wait and see," she spat, bright eyes brimming with hatred. "You tore this village apart, and Naru is going to see it's restored to glory."

"Yes, because you erase all individuality and refuse to move on from the ghosts of the past," Sai said, voice cold as ice to match his entire face. That spark of emotion he thought he erased for good...

"Enough of this," Danzo hissed. "Take them both away."

The pair was dragged away, taken to be sealed and placed together if comfort for each other was all that would keep them from lashing apart. It was then that the messenger bat returned to him - with the little scroll attached to one of its legs. He took it and opened it for his eye only.

The message was coded, but it was nothing that couldn't be cracked by another who wouldn't dare to deceive him like this one had done. _About time._

~o~

What he found was nothing short of vile and gruesome, making him want his former superior's blood all the more. He threatened Sai, he threatened his potential lover - and what was worse: they were both imprisoned until they talked about where Naru was.

Itachi lost so much sleep waiting for his crows, but it was worth it by morning when they came back and reported to him. The couple - friends of his brother's best friend who had been there for her the most - were going to die without divulging her whereabouts, when one of them did NOT know a thing. Or did Sai tell her in confidence?

Either way, they had three weeks, but at least Kakashi and the others knew and hadn't yet been discovered.

He sat atop a rock whereas Kisame and Deidara were at the bottom, when the dawn colors were deep and rich at best, the wind soft and brushing his bangs over his eyes; yawned behind his sleeve, with no one catching him - except one. "Oh, lost sleep again? Not that it's necessary, because what Shinobi needs is full time rest?" **"Yeah, at this rate, you're going to die before your time, Itachi."**

"Zetsu," he answered, craning his neck and stretching the muscles. "You're right, but if it happens, then it happens."

It was like White Zetsu to continue wagging his tongue. "Happen before you and the Nine-Tails hit it?"

He gritted his teeth. "Don't presume that I'll stoop to a level like that. She's not deserving of that base, just as she deserved none of the treatment she's had her entire life. She doesn't deserve someone like me either," he stated sternly.

 **"What do we know about these things? But look at what I am seeing of you: protector from the shadows. That's what you've always been in our eyes. Madara knew all along when the others hadn't. You're still doing a hell of a good job even now...but when are you gonna tell HER?"**

"Whenever the time is right," Itachi answered coldly, turning his attention back to the scenic view: the vast collection of mountainous rock between golden sand and then lush green life. White Zetsu giggled excitedly.

"Good luck when you do!"

The Uchiha sighed harshly through his nose. "You really talk too much, the both of you."

"That's why I'm called 'wagging tongue' and this one is 'wicked tongue'!" **"Oh, you heard the man."**

Itachi stood up and slid down the rock. "I want you to go back to the Sand Village and give the news to the Kazekage, and when we have his response, we will all return."

~o~

Refreshed, smelling of apples and incense, and wearing the dress Temari lent her, she was walking side by side with her friend down the cool corridors, and her hair was cut much shorter than before. She felt like a...whole new woman. She felt like she stood out amongst the Suna Shinobi in their beige garments and dark flak jackets, heads and necks wrapped in cloth to protect against the brutal weather.

The morning light turned to pale blue, the winds blowing but warm. "Later this afternoon, there is going to be a celebration," Temari said. "The first day of our Kitakaze Festival."

"What's its significance?" Naru asked.

Temari grinned. "Because the day the Third Great War ended, the winds from the north blew - but then it didn't last," she said, face becoming somber. "Long story short: we took so much more losses of funding than your village that my father, the Fourth Kazekage, sold his gold dust to try and make up for the lack of major assignments, but it wasn't enough. That was when he decided to do something about Shukaku and Gaara before he was born..."

Naru tried not to snarl as she thought of that time he told her, when he thirsted for her blood as well as her team's. When it was all that Orochimaru's doing, taking advantage of their fragile, desperate position for himself. The Yondaime Kazekage sounded like a good man, but even he had to make a worse sacrifice than her own father had done. He had way too many flaws than Minato, even though she never knew the man all her life other than from the ones who knew him, enough as she'd been told.

Shinobi from this desperate place believed that mission accomplishments dominated them even today, and as a result, that was why they pursued triumph even if failure was on their horizon. They continued to persist, so she did admire them for that.

"Have I ever asked if you guys are from a specific clan?" Naru asked suddenly, earning a twinkle of the eyes.

"You'll be surprised that here in Sunakagure, there are different families instead of clans."

 _No clans, no expectations...but families. There's a huge difference._

She wanted to know more, but they arrived at the main conference room where Gaara, Kankuro and the High Council members were all waiting for her. Head high, Naru stepped in, aware that she looked like a regular citizen, but she felt assured she could make them take her seriously with how her reputation made her.

 **Kitakaze means "north wind". You'll see the event in the next chapter.**

 **I don't have to say it, but review. :D**


	6. Swept by the Northern Winds

**I managed to finally do the next couple chapters of "Allure of Darkness" (a vamp!Itachi/OC fic) and high time I did. XD In time for the Month of Spooks, none other!**

 **Oh, by the way, note I finally changed from Naruto to Naruko in terms of the pairing with Itachi in the filter. I didn't give in to pressure, but I hope people still understand that Naru in here IS short for Naruto since she was born a girl.**

 **Something horrible has also happened recently. My father threatened to finally leave me and Grandma, because of his issues, despite me being at home to make sure he and her are taken care of, and I have never been so sick and scared. I can't help but wonder what is going to happen to us now and the future...**

 **Hope the wait was worth it. :D**

Chapter Six

Swept by the Northern Winds

"Well, we are just going to head out and keep tabs if anymore of Danzo's lapdogs are on the move here, and we will handle them," Kisame promised as they flew over the village, and Itachi was prepared to make the jump as soon as their ride lowered a little. "I wish you luck, Great Leader!"

That title he didn't feel was necessary, but he humored his shark comrade by letting him call that occasionally. "Un, you got it from me, too," Deidara agreed. "I heard the North Wind Festival is taking place, so hope you enjoy it!"

"Perhaps I will," Itachi answered. _If I have the chance. We have enough time, but can't be wasted too much._

Naru must have indulged the previous night; if she had, she earned it. The poor girl had been a filthy-looking animal, no offense, so he looked forward to seeing her as soon as he set foot. Whatever well treatment she got must have been a pleasant change after the harsh conditions. He was considering asking if he could join her in that, if only for a little while. As the saying went: too much seriousness drove you off the cliff of insanity. He had enough of that in his lifetime.

When he landed, he settled on his new appearance through the use of a henge, like Tsunade-sama used to keep her youthful appearance: he settled on keeping his body build but with a face slightly rounded, the lines beneath his eyes vanished, and his eyes from black to green, finished with his hair shortening to the shoulders and dark brown like his father Fugaku. He needed a new name, too: Tashi from the borders of the Land of Wind. He was a wanderer who lost his family and was simply passing through - and that he'd met Naru on the way before he came here. That was his planned story if anyone would ask him questions.

That wasn't all: he sent a crow out to intercept any of the Sand Siblings it could reach that wasn't in the Kazekage Tower. To let them know he was out here in the desert and waiting to be allowed in. Even explained what his "story" would be - and what he would look like rather than the way they knew him, so they wouldn't miss him.

No sensory ninja here, or _doujutsu_ users, so he slipped in undetected.

So here he was now, walking the streets of the village, sand blowing into his face, but he had it covered as he walked through the sparse crowds. Just like the Hidden Mist Village, Sand was populated less compared to the other villages as was its suffering economy that really was trying to grow again. It was a shame.

He saw a sweets shop along the way, but it appeared to be limited in contrast to Konoha. He had no time to stop, so he hurried ahead for the Kazekage Tower, where the guards identified him as the "visitor awaited for by Kazekage-sama". He went inside, lowering the cloth from his mouth and face, going upstairs and reaching the second to topmost in time to see the group exiting the conference room - which bore the statues of the current Kazekage and the others who came before him, including his father - and there SHE was, smiling and laughing to whatever Temari was telling her, which sent Kankuro halfway doubled, and even Gaara managing a slight smile.

That light, snowy dress graced her exquisite body, her hair shining like the sun, and her skin devoid of any smudges. There didn't appear to be any weapons on her body - unless she hid them somewhere very well. Although he caught nothing, without his eyes activated. _She's not relying on any attacks. Foolish woman._

But when he looked upon her, he damned his foolish little brother for his actions.

"Oh, there you are!" Temari said when she saw him. "You're just in time you...handsome man." He smirked to one corner of his mouth at her flattery attempt. Although Naru looked at him with furrowed brows. "Naru, this is you know who."

Her eyes widened and lit up with recognition. "Doesn't even LOOK like him - except it kinda does," she mumbled, scratching the back of her neck as she noticed certain recognizable features. Then she grinned broadly, a shine reflecting off those teeth. "It's good to see you back, Ta...?" She halted, having forgotten what his name was as long as he was here - and looking like that.

"It is Tashi," he answered, standing before her and looking her down. Her eyes were still bulging as she took in his new appearance, obviously needing to get used to this. He chuckled. "Don't overexert yourself by my new appearance, Naru."

"Well, how do you want me to think of it?" she asked, sounding out of breath. "You're so -"

Kankuro interrupted her with a strangled snigger. "Don't go and say it to his face!" he told her, slapping a hand over her mouth to keep her from blurting it out. His younger brother, though amused, cleared his throat.

"Well, let's take all of this in my office. Tashi -" _To ensure no other Shinobi are listening, but his walls are thick enough to not be soundproofed._ "- because we all have important matters to discuss, then get to the celebration which will happen in a couple hours."

So walk they did, and that was when Itachi found himself close enough to smell _apples_ off of Naru. It was sweet and innocent...and utterly tempting.

"So, Itachi and Naru," Gaara said once they were safely within his office, "the Council has sympathized to an extent and agreed that you will be granted the assistance you require, given the instability of the military force of Konoha. Division means force is weakened, although we could be attacked full-front, caught off-guard...but then again we might not, because once I would have been used as a weapon. This time is different, because Naru, you are going in there on your own and with us behind you. And I mean ALL of us," he finished with a glance towards Itachi.

 _Which means the Akatsuki will be backup. All fine by me...but I won't be with Kisame and Deidara. I'll go in disguised as I am at the present. I'll be reclaiming my village._

"I'll be leading you all into battle against that bastard once and for all!" Naru declared, flashing that grin of hers that knew how to brighten the mood of all those she met - well, most, or half. "We're gonna set this right together and save our friends!" Even if there could be people she knew were dead, but she had no idea who exactly. She deserved to know who was with the Hokage and who was against him - and then the worst saved for last.

Itachi now had his turn, shifting from his henge back into his true form. "The Yamanaka are surely against the Hokage, as are the Nara and Akimichi clans. You know about the Hyuuga being pro. Aburame are also against. It seems the majority of the important families are against him, except he has been using extreme ways to keep them from publicly rebelling against him. For instance, two of your friends have been taken prisoner and will remain there for three weeks unless we can make it sooner than that."

The horror was plain on her face. "Wh-who are they?" she demanded in a harsh whisper, and when he said their names, she erupted into an enraged frenzy that shook the walls and could have brought them down on all of them.

"NOT SAI AND INO!"

~o~

Sai - who risked his own skin to let her get away - had been arrested upon discovery, along with Ino; they refused to sell her out because they believed in her. _Just great; they're gonna die because of me._

 _ **Perhaps they will, but there is still time. Meanwhile, live in the present and not fear too much.**_

Hot hatred surged through her. She would _not_ let that happen to them, because before the three weeks were up, she, the boys and all of Suna were going to assault the Hidden Leaf and capture the Hokage once and for all. She was going to enjoy his head served on a platter. He was going down in history as the worst leader in Konoha history, and people would agree with that, except the fools who obeyed him - but it had to be done out of fear and desperation, while others were bred like that.

Just like Sai and Captain Yamato.

Itachi said Yamato was doing well, that he was working on both sides; she didn't see the darkness in his eyes, clouded and gloomy, because she looked down at the ground as she processed her thoughts. She had no idea what he was thinking when he said that.

She found herself near the greenhouse, which was surrounded by lush greenery and some flowers; this place had memories which were mostly dear to Sakura when they came here - the time Gaara was abducted by the Akatsuki. But she wasn't alone when she decided she needed a stroll to try and calm down, to silently send a prayer that Ino and Sai would be all right. Itachi was with her, back to his disguise which she thought was very cute - though she admitted she preferred him the way he was.

And she'd just admitted to finding the clan murderer and one of the most notorious criminals in Konoha's history a handsome man.

Kurama was sniggering at her thoughts. _Shut up, you stupid fox._

"Being in surroundings like these clears your mind," Itachi noted as they sat in a collection of shrubs, the glass house ahead and glimmering like the only crystal it was in this harsh environment. "This appears to be the only paradise spot in this land. Known for having its own climate to help these plants, to make rare herbs for antidotes - just what we all need, but if the other nations had access, it would mean immediate depletion."

"Yeah," Naru agreed, leaning back and letting the hot wind move her hair in the other direction, no strands getting in her face yet.

She told him about the story where Kankuro was poisoned and was saved by Sakura and Granny Chiyo, when he tried rescuing his brother from Sasori, and it was both her friend and that bastard's grandmother who countered the effects of the poison. _That old woman who was one to label people like US, to be there when that monster was sealed into him before he was born..._

It was also then that she spotted a certain plant that she'd never seen before. The roots and stumps were so thick they could have gotten too much water and still looked so good! The flowers were rosy, but they couldn't be real roses. What was it? It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen! In awe, Naru stood up and rushed over to it, smelling it very faintly but liking it. "Itachi, do you know what this is?"

" _Sabakunobara_."

 _Desert rose._

"As I understand it, it's commonly a houseplant and used for bonsai planting. It's rare and appreciated for its flowers." He reached out and gently touched a flower below without laying his fingers on its petals. "They grow for years."

"I didn't think you'd know all about flowers," she said, laughing.

"I don't know everything," he deadpanned. "I only know flora because of its usefulness, most of the time. Hardly do I appreciate anything anymore. Did you know that the sap of this plant could also be isolated into a toxic compound and used as poison to coat weapons?"

She scoffed; he really didn't find much of anything funny, did he? "You really don't know how to think of anything other than in a technical way, do you?" she asked with some frustration.

He regarded her coolly. "You think I wish to? There was no space ever in my life for such things. If I could even go back and change anything, I would. There is never a choice, like you say yourself," he said, turning his face away from her which pissed her off. She didn't want to get into a fight, but he was making this harder than it had to be.

"Itachi Uchiha...what are you saying exactly for yourself, now that it's just us here?" Itachi looked back at her now.

"I'll tell you as soon as we have a more private setting than this one. You never know who could be listening in."

Naru let loose a smirk; bingo, they would finally get somewhere. And meanwhile, she was going to finish enjoying the sights with him. As well, she would secretly congratulate Sai and Ino despite their circumstances.

~o~

"You'd better have something to make up for wasting my time."

The man spoke coldly from his position, leaning against one of the pillars atop the Hokage Tower. He came on a giant hawk summons at the most late hour possible. If anyone besides his Root knew, there would be more cause to uproar. "I assure you, your time will be worth the trouble," Danzo promised him.

The young man was striking amid the moonlight; had things gone his way, he would have had him in his ranks and using his appearance to lure the targets into a false sense of security, if he wasn't so rebellious and uncontrolled unlike his brother. The white garment was opened wide enough to show the entire front of his body, chiseled and fine. The belt was purple rope - a symbol of Otogakure from its leader to the followers. "What do you have that could be of interest to me? Unless it has to do with my brother, then leave me out of it."

"Your brother, of course - that's why you are in charge of the village which was founded by the one you promised yourself to...and in the end you betrayed him. But his methods weren't to your liking, or do I stand corrected?"

Sasuke Uchiha snorted, his wild hair glinting with his eyes - both black as midnight. "Orochimaru disgusted me, and as I understood from his notes, you helped him get what he wanted sometimes, but I don't see why I should bother with the likes of you," he answered.

This brat really knew nothing of what his brother did for him, for this village, so of course Danzo would have no respect for him in return. _You have others sacrifice themselves for yourself only._ "Would you bother if I proposition that this involves both Itachi -"

"Don't you DARE say his name," Sasuke snarled, narrowing his eyes and curling his lip. The collar of his tunic rustled to show the black trio of tomoe which flared with fire that threatened to spread into real flames throughout his body.

"- and Naru Uzumaki?" Danzo finished.

That alone stopped him in his tracks. His face visibly showed calm surprise, and the spark hit within the Hokage that he had him for certain. "What about her?"

Danzo went on to speak of the girl he heard had been one of Sasuke Uchiha's female teammates under Kakashi Hatake: she was locked away, of course, for protesting his warrant on the rogue Uchiha's head as well as removing Tsunade, and this information made the youth's glare deepen. "All the more reason I shouldn't waste myself with the likes of you, if you were the one who branded me."

 _You would hate me even more if you knew what really happened - but Itachi has no intentions of allowing you to find out._

"Remember it was YOU who broke the Shinobi code and abandoned us all for your own pursuits - including those who saw you a trusted comrade. I could lift it if you do this for me just as I will let you have your precious revenge against your brother. He is leader of the Akatsuki now, as you must have heard, and he has issued the capture of the _Jinchuuriki_. Their present whereabouts are unknown, so I will commission you to seek them out. They likely crossed the western borders where they have passed the Land of Rivers, and you know where it could possibly be by now?"

Sasuke's eyes shone with piqued interest both at the proposal as well as a likely idea indeed.

~o~

She found out it was difficult to have these kinds of festivals during the night, fireworks especially, when there were unbearable winds. That was why it was best during the day. There were bursts of smoke that smelled sweetly like flowers into the sky, stands in the streets that sold delicious foods and trivial things like clothing and jewelry - but a limited selection, unfortunately. _**Well, they can only work with what they have until they have a real solution.**_

Naru was here at the latter with Itachi. Who would have thought she would end up here? She'd never been into these things, and that raw crystal from Granny Tsunade which had once been her grandfather's was destroyed when she blew up into Eight-Tails. That thing was special only because of the memory of her betting that she would be Hokage one day regardless of that cynical old bat. _That cynical old bat who lost everything and had the necklace left._

She hadn't known what it was like to TRULY lose someone close until Sasuke left and Pervy Sage, Hinata and others were killed.

"I miss that guy, now that I think about it," she said to Itachi as they walked side by side to look at the sights. "I didn't like jewelry, but I did agree because of the monetary value it had, and because I wanted to prove the old lady wrong."

He chuckled. "You and money, eh? Well, you were only a child at the time, not yet understanding the three prohibitions - something not all Shinobi abide by, especially the young generation who hadn't seen the harsh wartimes," he said. She laughed.

Since spending this much time with him, short as it was...somehow it felt like forever. She found herself hating him less and less, looking into his eyes and saw something more sad than angry and hateful. They were cold, yes, but they didn't seem to belong to a murderer. What did that mean? _Did that mean he didn't really kill the clan, that he was just framed for it and turned up at the wrong time? Pretended to be the monster his brother saw that night?_

It all made sense, though it was nothing more than a theory. However, if it was true, why did Itachi have to be the way he was...?

"Do you like these events?" Naru asked him.

"They're not terrible. Although I regret having limited time for leisure activities. When everyone was alive -" He avoided saying his clan's name as well as his brother's. "- we would go to these events because it was requirement, most of the time."

In other words: the Uchiha were elite and respected so much that they had no choice of their own, was that it? Somehow she realized how hard it was to live up to a family name based on appearances, performance and everything else. Sasuke must have known what that was like, and if that was the case, she felt a little more sorry for him.

"But now I get to enjoy it anytime, if I'm not any more blessed with the luxury than I used to be. You understand why."

Naru numbly nodded, all the while looking at some of the jewels that were on display. Some were made of bluish stones the color of the skies and the sea. There was one that had three opalescent stones fringed with bursts of pearls; it was nice, but it felt a little heavy and looked too much. This she tried on despite liking how it looked.

But then Itachi found something just for her, and it took her breath away.

This looked like it would be a couple inches from her throat. All around were shimmering, natural white pearls each spaced with antique brass. It felt so much lighter than the other, but heavy enough to let her know of its presence.

The nice old lady who sold it said it spoke of a woman who was radiant as she was untamed.

Itachi's fingers clasped it around her throat, his fingers strangely soft while she expected his palms to be calloused from all these years. The sensation the digits gave her skin as they brushed over her made her nearly jump out of it.

Kurama could have enjoyed this, but thankfully he had to be sleeping, which she was thankful for.

~o~

Night fell, and the festivities took their place within the Kazekage's walls, being among the Sand Siblings, their guests, and there was sake served, though he had no intention of consuming too much.

He couldn't take his eyes off the innocent but enchanting gems around Naru's column of a throat, then down to the subtle curves above the fabric of her dress. After he placed the necklace around her, his fingers felt her soft skin despite years of hardship, of survival, and it was here he allowed himself that small pleasure. When the deed was done, she noted he really did seem to care about things on a personal level besides technicality.

He answered with no words, but a one-sided smile.

Temari's voice was that of a divine being when she sang the traditional song of her people from its very founding.

 _A lord upon carven throne_

 _In many halls of stone_

 _With golden roof and floor_

 _And runes of power upon the door_

 _The light of sun and star and moon_

 _In fragile lamps of paper hewn_

 _Undimmed by cloud or shade of night_

 _There shone for ever fair and bright_

"That was some song," Naru said, face flushed from having a couple. But she walked straight with his help and Temari's. "'Mari, that was a hell of a peformance!" There was no mistaking the mispronunciation and misspelling in one, which made them both laugh. A slightly tipsy Naru Uzumaki was not something you saw every day.

Temari spoke to him quietly. "Itachi, I never thought you'd be capable of laughing."

"You'd be surprised."

The hour wasn't that late, so the night was still young. He was asked to stay in their shared room, as long as he didn't try anything to take advantage of her. "I assure you," he told her, "I'm incapable of such vile, base acts."

"Just making sure," she said with a twinkle of the eyes.

Naru was deposited on the bed, where she was left there to rest for a good few hours until the midnight hour struck, and that was when the alcohol left her system. Temari went to bed by this time, and so Itachi chose to stay by the foot of the _Jinchuuriki_ 's bed, having watched her the entire time. She was sweet and pure in her sleep. It was a different kind of protectiveness as he guarded her like he used to when he came home to look at sleeping Sasuke as a child.

"You're here, Itachi," Naru murmured, rubbing her eyes.

He nodded. "Simply keeping watch on you because your friend asked me to," he answered, coming to sit closer only because she asked him to. _You still have some sake in your system._

"Thanks for watching me, I guess. I don't remember anyone doing that for me," Naru said as she continued to watch him, blinking hazily until her vision was cleared. He was showing his real face as long as the skies were dark and there was no one but the two of them, speaking quietly so not to wake Temari who was not that far away.

She slid closer to him while still laying down. "Is this a good time then?" she asked. "It's just us now, I don't care how late it is, and you can talk to me now so we have it off our chests once and for all."

Sighing, Itachi gave in because he owed her, but she had to know how much more dire it was. It would make her hate Danzo all the more, but what about Lord Third who had been her guardian in childhood yet let all the pain and suffering happen to her?

There was one way he could shorten it for her, without causing her pain. He could talk to her, but it would take all the more hours of the night. "Naru, you're going to have your very foundation shaken when you see this," he warned her, taking her hand into both of his. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed in anticipation, possibly worried she would regret this.

His eyes bled red, sucking her into their world of tragic memories.

 **The Suna theme song was inspired by "Song of Durin" by Eurielle (though the lyrics were written by J.R.R Tolkien himself! :D) for The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. :'D Take a listen on YouTube and see how epic and majestic it is. I never change lyrics or create my own song.**

 **Japanese songs generally don't rhyme whether in their own language or the English translation.**

 _ **Adenium obesum**_ **is the plant Naru sees (also known as desert rose, so the Japanese name** _ **Sabakunobara).**_ **Used as a houseplant in temperate climate for bonsai primarily and have thick caudices (the stems, but the term is also used to mean a rootstock and particularly a basal stem structure from which new growth arises). The sap of a certain kind of adenium contains toxic elements used as arrow poison in Africa for hunting.**

 **The necklace Itachi buys Hanaru is inspired by the "Sherwood Set" from Stauer (a magical jewelry website I often use for my stories). :3**

 **When Naru mispronounces "performance" (spelling shown), me writing the mistake was indeed intentional. XD**

 **And here you have it: Itachi shows Naru his past with his eyes, just like he did to Sasuke in their final moments as the Edo Tensei is released. Let's see what happens, and review in the meantime! :D**


	7. Truth

**Named after the episode in Shippuden when Madara tells him everything he knows to Sasuke - and changes the course of history. So, long awaited or what? See what happens...**

 **Itachi Shinden is to thank for this. :'D**

Chapter Seven

Truth

 _These are...your memories._

She saw it all as if it were a dream, and she wasn't seen by anyone as she witnessed everything. There was nothing and no one but herself and the images, sounds, smells and feelings that dominated her vision and senses.

There were Shinobi of all nations fighting each other. Bodies fell. The skies overhead were dark with storm clouds that growled with thunder as humanity clashed with each other. But above them and standing atop a cliff was a lone human figure who looked down upon the bloodbath. And even though Naru wasn't one of them, she felt what HE was feeling, as she looked upon the young face, rounded and devoid of the lines he had as a man, framed with shorter hair that reached his chin.

The silent pain and unshed tears spoke of seeing this violence for the first time, shattering his innocence. _It's you, Itachi._

And of course Kurama woke up so he could watch with her. _**Indeed.**_ He wasn't laughing now, even though he lived for moments like this.

Itachi looked as if he were only four or five years old, the age she was when she'd been released from the orphanage after she was deemed a "threat" to the other children, and old man Sandaime gave her that old apartment of hers. Which was long since demolished to the ground because of Pain. He was now running through the field as if trying to find someone, anyone he knew who was alive - and a ninja from Iwagakure was just that, so the child ran to his aid, offering him water...but as soon as the man saw the ninja tools strapped to the boy's thigh, he lashed out on instinct and pulled his kunai...only to find his throat slashed by the young Itachi at the same time he was approached by another man who looked somehow like him. Dark hair and eyes, wearing the flak jacket and standard attire, but stern-faced.

Itachi called him _father._ This man was his father. He almost cried and said he did nothing but try to help this man to almost being killed by him. "Itachi, this is war," his father said grimly. "Not among people only, but among _nations._ "

 _ **The Third Great Shinobi War,**_ Kurama told her gravely. _**Each conflict gets worse with each era.**_

Then the scenes changed: the entire Shinobi forces gathered for the memorial of the dead lost - the one Kakashi-sensei said had the names of those who died in the field and were listed for their efforts - and the Third Hokage announced he would take responsibility and step down, which had a debate as to who would be the Fourth.

Itachi listened in part as someone who served his father - who was the captain of the Leaf Police Force - as they thought of their master being the next Hokage, and then try to take the Sharingan eye from Kakashi Hatake who got it from a friend of his...Obito Uchiha, who died saving his friends.

Naru was shocked at how _young_ her sensei had been - and how sad. Beside him was a pretty brunette with purple markings on her face who was wiping her eyes.

The man, Itachi's father - Fugaku was his name - refused to participate in anymore bloodshed because the fighting was over. But it looked like his son was suffering inside all the more. He would eventually walk away, and that was when she saw him approaching a lone man standing over a couple gravestones, and her fury resurfaced at the sight of _Orochimaru._ He looked exactly the same as she remembered. That snake...

He said there was no meaning of life when the boy asked the question. With that answer, she saw Itachi jump off a cliff some time later, and she shrieked in horror even though she knew he would be alive...and he saved his own skin with his kunai, landing safely and then being comforted by a single black crow that curiously came to him.

Itachi must have thought life was meaningless, but how did he change his mind? She got the answer as soon as she saw him in the hospital with a beautiful woman with long raven hair - _his mother._

She was pregnant. At the present with snow falling, she told Itachi that he was going to be a big brother, and it was then that he said he wanted a little brother...and his wish was granted when his _baby brother_ came in the summer.

Naru squeaked when she saw BABY SASUKE squirming and grunting in his mother's arms, who had such a wonderful glow about her. Even her husband seemed to soften up as he named his new son after none other than the Sandaime's father, which was an immense honor.

It was Itachi's response that was more important for her, as he reached and poked his little finger into the baby's chubby but soft cheek, seeing the new life, seeing it born. His life had been changed altogether. He became a brother, swore to protect the younger one with everything he had.

As for his Academy life, he was taunted by other children, but he would deflect back their rocks by picking one up and sending them back before going about his business as if nothing bothered him.

Itachi was a social outcast, preferring training because there was nothing else that piqued him. No matter times changed. It made her feel sad, especially since she saw a cute girl who was named Izumi - of the Uchiha clan. But she learned the girl was only half; her mother was a clan member while her father wasn't. And the mention of the death of the father had to do with none other than the night of the Kyuubi rampage.

 _The night of my birth._

Itachi, that night, was babysitting his brother who was four months old by now. Their parents were working then. He and Sasuke were on the porch when the "storm" blew and chaos reigned supreme.

Everyone in the Uchiha compound was running for their lives, the police force doing everything in their power to get them to safety. Along the way, the baby crying and still in his arms, Itachi rescued Izumi and dragged her with him to join his father and the others.

The Uchiha were all confined to protecting the civilians of the Leaf while everyone else was fighting the monster which destroyed their homes and killed many innocent people - _including Iruka's parents._

So were none other than Naru's parents: the Fourth Hokage and her mother, the previous _Jinchuuriki._

She saw her infant self laying asleep in a basket at the foot of the memorial as old man Sarutobi was given his old job back, honored her parents' names as well as everyone else, face taut but sad.

Since the village suffered, rebuilding was in order, but out of everything else, the Uchiha clan was placed on the outskirts and close to the prison. Isolating them from the rest of Konoha, which sparked outrage amongst them all. Some shouted this was just like the reign of the Second Hokage, who had bestowed them the job of the police force in the first place - and it was here she discovered they had been suspected of the Nine-Tails incident. Because of the higher-ups themselves: the Sandaime, the two advisors Naru vaguely remembered when she was a little girl - and who were killed by Danzo when he took over - and finally that one-eyed mummy himself.

But it was clear old man Third didn't approve of this treatment, and he was always overruled despite his intentions.

Naru had no idea what to make of all of this: the Uchiha were seen as respected, but they were kept outside due to unwarranted suspicions. _**It wasn't them at all, but that masked Akatsuki. He let the blame fall on the Uchiha. The Uchiha can control as well as suppress me. If they had taken my power for themselves,**_ Kurama snarled, _**it would have been a repeat of their ancestor's history.**_

In other words: these three elders stuck to the past more than the old man.

Poor Itachi had to bear witness and be treated the same as the rest of his clan, and Izumi as well as her mother had to move back in, no matter the girl being only half. Yet she still seemed so happy and was working her tail off to be a Shinobi, too. That sparkle in her eye: it was the same as when Sakura and the other girls looked at Sasuke, but she didn't seem to annoy him.

He apparently made enemies, which didn't surprise her. He showed he was at the top, but he didn't seem to do it intentionally because everything in the classroom was easy compared to what he saw on the battlefield at a young age. _Children learning how to throw dangerous tools before they can read?!_

There was also the matter of him and Sasuke. The brothers were extremely close, and when the elder would come home, the younger would always greet him with pure joy. As far as Sasuke was concerned, there was nothing but him and Itachi. His world evolved around his _aniki_ , whom he wanted to train him as they got older, but there was little to no time and promises of "next time" and a poke to the forehead broken. She would eventually see why.

Itachi graduated from the Academy at age seven, by this time having a Genin team including one of his old enemies who eventually acknowledged him - but was jealous because Itachi was ahead of him. They were tasked once with getting a missing ninja cat from a respectable clan - this made Naru think back to the time with Granny Cat, Nekomata and the Paw Encyclopedia when Sasuke was still with them - but when the mission was a success, it ended badly afterwards.

This was when she saw Itachi was debating which was important, finally seeing it for the first time: a clan as a whole or individuals, when his teammate Tenma said that getting the cat whiskers for his ailing father, the clan head, was more important than saving him just because the man sired him and therefore was someone he respected.

Naru's blood boiled when she saw that masked Akatsuki - _who the hell is this bastard? He ruined ALL of our lives!_ \- kill Tenma and caused Shinko, their female teammate, to retire...and awaken Itachi's Sharingan. And what the hell when this got back to Fugaku whom he once respected: his son lost a friend, and all he cared about was that Itachi got stronger by one more step.

There was also... _Shisui Uchiha._

That boy with the curly dark hair - and older than Itachi, had also seen war before his eyes - he was so lively and full of energy that she thought she could have been friends with him herself. He was a cousin of Itachi's, but he was also his best friend. He taught him so much, helped save his life in the Forest of Death...but this was also where the trouble with ANBU began.

 _These Shinobi operate from the shadows. There is no justice done by the law, but by the blade itself._

That was why she couldn't stand this kind so much, no matter if they were under the Hokage or that Danzo. That man was no true leader, just a scared child who didn't grow up.

Itachi and Shisui's deeds must have gotten back to the old man by this time, for in a few years, Itachi Uchiha - son of the clan leader and elder brother of the boy who would become Naru Uzumaki's rival and best friend - entered the Black Ops when he was only eleven years old. This was when his hair had grown so much longer than before and tied below his neck. The lines on his face would start small and begin to get worse as time would go on.

The things he did...the orders and sacrifices, unable to trust his innocent little brother...it took more than a toll on him, but that wasn't the worst of it. The mega worst had come in the next two years to come. By this time he was made captain at _age thirteen years old_.

Itachi had been a _double agent_ for his kin and the Leaf's Elders.

But by the looks of it, he chose the village over his own blood.

The Uchiha had become dissatisfied with their way of life: never having a place in the governing body, and it seemed they would never trust the higher-ups any more than the higher-ups trusted them. No compromise could be reached despite Sarutobi trying his best.

Even Itachi tried to get his father to see reason, but the man was vehement as he showed his son the stone tablet that was hidden beneath the Nakano Shrine which was the Uchiha meeting place - and his _Mangekyo Sharingan._ _ **The legendary jutsu above the basic Sharingan. Only a few mastered it, and Fugaku acquired it during the Great War,**_ Kurama told her. _**If they had it their way and regained their power place, they would have taken you and dragged me out like the masked man did to Kushina.**_

She would have ended up just like her mother, only really died right away after having him extracted. She swallowed down the horrible outcome had it gone that way.

Shisui Uchiha tried to resolve things himself, having said that he planned to use his powerful visual prowess which was unique in that you could control someone without their awareness...but everything went awry when Danzo STOLE his right eye for himself. He would have gotten the left one if Shisui hadn't gotten away.

It was then that Itachi's best friend all but gave up, even though the fight was still far from over. He managed to remove his remaining eye and gave it to Itachi before throwing himself off into the Nakano River...

...therefore awakening Itachi's Mangekyo.

Itachi was suspected of Shisui's mysterious death, even though it looked like a suicide. He was innocent without solid proof, but things had entered a downward spiral with a path of no return. His relationship with his fellow clansmen entered a loathsome stage when he realized how _shallow_ they truly were. If they'd taken over Konoha, they would not see people as individuals, but puppets to control out of fear and prejudice rather than understanding and friendship. Naru had no idea if that was worse than Danzo's current regime or just the same, but less was not an option.

 _Oh, God...this is it. The moment we've been waiting for._

The one she thought of as a murderer and ruined his brother's life had endured longer and harder than they ever had. He had all the qualities of a Hokage, but no one knew he could have become one himself if things had been different. She could see him on that seat. He deserved it more than anyone - but what about herself?

Now she was at a moment that really did change her views: the Uchiha intended to revolt against the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Itachi had solid proof that he presented to the elders. The majority were in favor of locking into battle with them, their combined Black Ops to launch an attack from behind and ending the conflict fast, but that meant two options, both ending with bloodshed.

Option one: annihilating the entire clan behind the backs of the rest of the village.

Option two: triggering the Fourth Great Shinobi War, which was NOT something Itachi wanted as much as the rest of them.

That would mean Sasuke would lose his childhood innocence like his big brother lost his. As would the other children his age who had it easy compared to their predecessors.

The Sandaime wanted to resolve it without spilling blood, but everything failed, and the night drew closer. The night which was issued without his consent by the order of none other than Danzo. The first option of extermination turned out to be what Itachi would do, because he had only two choices of his own: to align with his people and die with them as they launched their coup d'état - or to side with Konoha and spare his _otouto._

Naru wanted to close her eyes, but she HAD to see the rest of it. That night when the fates of Itachi, his brother and their clan were sealed. She _felt_ his emotional pain when she saw it in his eyes if his face betrayed none of it.

She saw the full moon at its highest the night of the butcher. Every light that went out right after every body that fell when his sword cut them down: man, woman, elder and child alike.

The first to go was Izumi herself. But the way Itachi did it did NOT involve his weapon of choice, but something that made it easier yet was much worse in comparison: he put her under his _genjutsu_ , made her live a future that would never be. A world where they were happy, married and had a child, retired from the Shinobi life, grew old and died together. All of that in a single second, and she died happy in his arms. Her mother came next.

Blood spilled on walls, the floor and even furniture items. The lone figure swept through the carnage like a phantom in midst...and two most important people were saved for last just as someone else was running through the streets and seeing the dead bodies of his clan, an aunt and uncle - and panicking as he remembered his mother and father.

Meanwhile, Itachi stood over his kneeling parents, sword unsheathed but not striking them down. He had no idea how to explain himself, but his mother said they understood. But here they chose to die rather than be trampled upon by the village leaders.

But Fugaku's last words were this: he wanted Sasuke to be taken care of, assured his eldest son that their pain would be over in an instant. And despite their different philosophies, he was still proud of him.

 _Those tears..._

Seeing that made Naru feel her own burning her cheeks.

That was the last thing she saw before she was sucked out of the memory world, but that was when Sasuke came in, and the rest was history. Gasping sharply, Naru looked up at Itachi's face. Once more, she saw the stoic mask of a man who lied to everyone in order to protect - including his little brother whom he loved more than everything - and was willing to give everything up for Sasuke and Konoha together.

He willingly became a criminal for the greater good, but that was a worse burden than anyone could shoulder. Just like it was to carry a demon that ravaged your home, be blamed for it.

"Itachi...you're innocent. You've been a good guy all this time."

He was a ninja devoted to his village all along, exploited by none other than Danzo and the dead counselors.

 **Whoo, relief! (wipes brow) Sweat and tears in one. Review please - and please, give me more than just "beautiful chapter", "great job" and the likes". :( I really don't want to go into another rant like I did when I began this story.**


	8. Duality: Light and Darkness

**I keep forgetting to answer the question of AlyssaOtaku69 in chapter five earlier: Itachi is NOT sick, but his blindness from Mangekyo will be revealed in the event of time.**

 **I've just about grown sick of my life more than it already is. My father yapped loudly on the phone to his girlfriend again because of how I don't do shit but stay home because GRANDMA wanted me to, said I was missing out on the best years of my life (I'm still young and mid-twenties), but he doesn't know that being home and free to write my stories every day makes me fulfilled; I have no intention of telling him because it's none of his business, and it's not like either of them understand me.**

Chapter Eight

Duality: Light and Darkness

"Itachi...you're innocent. You've been a good guy all this time."

He refused to look at her when she said that. She had no common sense to understand that good and evil didn't apply to everything he'd done, or anyone else like them. Bright and unpredictable as she was, she had no right to call him something he didn't deserve. "You should sleep now," he said bluntly. "You've seen everything and you're exhausted."

She glared at him now. "You show me your past and now you think to avoid talking to me? What the hell?" she hissed. She had better keep her voice to the volume it was at the present.

"I'm not purposefully avoiding you because I want to," he said sternly. "You need to go back to sleep, or else more hours will be lost. There will be more time tomorrow to talk." Instead of using his eyes this time, all he did was use his single finger to flick right into her eyes, and just like that, she passed out, limply laying against him.

When she awoke, she might be mad at him.

Itachi continued to lie beside her the entire night. He brushed some hair that fell into her eyes. He took in the ivory skin marred only by the whiskers of the Kyuubi on both cheeks, the soft lashes and plump lips. No doubt that she had boys' eyes on her, but because their parents kept them at bay from her, she hadn't had suitors. No doubt they'd pursue her had Danzo not taken the Hokage seat; it could be common knowledge that no man might want to lie with a girl that had a monster within.

 _No doubt unleash it in the heat of passion._ But he thought it unlikely. Anger and rage were the keys to releasing the beast, in the heat of _battle_ , though it seemed she wasn't going to now that she was in command of the Nine-Tails.

She now knew everything, knew that he gave everything up so that Sasuke would live, so that he would have something he never did, so that the village would never endure another war. _And no more innocent people caught in the middle._ But she said he was a good man despite wicked deeds done to spare an entire village - and someone they both cared about.

He made sure Madara would never meet Sasuke, lest he exposed and wrecked everything so that his brother turned on the village rather than Itachi. _If he didn't have anything but words, he wouldn't stand a chance alone against an entire village compared to an entire clan. He runs a whole village himself, but a small one compared to the great nations..._

Long story short: he was glad he killed Madara Uchiha himself so that Sasuke would never know. He just hoped Naru would understand that enough now that she'd seen everything - except the one who handled the Leaf Police Force and left the rest to him.

But did her waning faith in Sasuke stay as it was, or was it rekindling because hope was renewed?

He sent crows out to keep tabs on his brother earlier. He feared the results. He knew he should have done this before while he was still in this seat, and he put this off because admittedly, half of him was afraid of learning what Sasuke was up to, but now he wanted to know.

Itachi would find out tomorrow, but for now, he fell asleep beside Naru. The girl who hated him for destroying his _otouto_ 's life, but then saw the reason. The best friend his foolish brother abandoned in exchange for power.

 _Was it all worth it, Sasuke?_

~o~

 _I'm going to kill him for putting me to sleep like that,_ were her first thoughts when she awoke to the sun on her body rather than in her face, but she winced because of how bright it was.

 _ **Ah, no, killing him when you now know everything? For putting you to sleep because it was for your own good, I recommend just being patient and absorbing what you learned.**_

So Naru just lay there, on her back, and stared up at the cool, rugged ceiling above. She did just what Kurama suggested. This was what she learned about Itachi Uchiha last night: he had been on a battlefield when he was only four years old, he zoomed through the Academy faster than average because of that, and he entered the Black Ops so young because of his father; he was callously used and exploited.

She hated Danzo the most, but she also couldn't stand the two advisors who knew but stood by. She wasn't sure how to feel about old man Third either.

 _I used to respect him, but I don't even know anymore. I want to hate him now, but damn it!_ She growled to the fox. _He knew something like this would happen, but he did nothing. And he was supposed to be the greatest Shinobi ever; that's who gets put in that seat in the first place._

Kurama grunted with her. _**Even the strongest will one day fall, runt.**_

 _He was too old, that's what! Makes me wish that they'd found Granny Tsunade sooner, now that I think about it. She might have prevented this, unlike him._ She stopped there to rethink that statement. _You think she knew?_

 _ **Highly likely, since the Hokage has access to all ANBU records.**_

Naru gritted her teeth and rolled onto her side, half curling into herself. _If she knew, how could there not be a way to clear his name? Why does Sasuke have to live the way he does because of this?!_

 _ **Stop and think for a moment, Naru!**_ Kurama snapped. _**If the villagers knew of this without proof, or even with, that means they distrust the leadership entirely, and it would mean chaos just as worse as when I was set upon them. You think Itachi would want that?**_ She hissed at how right he was; that would also mean Danzo had the proof destroyed himself, or he simply kept a tight lock on it.

It made her so mad that things had to be the way they were. Itachi was a good man, framed as a traitor when he should have been a hero. Maybe when they got back and got things in order, they could find a way to clear his name.

A noise behind her snapped her attention, and she turned around to look over her shoulder - and sucked in a breath at the sight of HIM sitting on the balcony outside the room; she saw it through the window nearby, when the winds were calm at the moment.

There he was in just his pants, his back to her - _how the hell did he...no way, I shouldn't have expected him to get those muscles on a body like that! Damn it, shit, I'm in trouble!_ \- and he was brushing his hair. First time she was seeing it out of the tie. Shimmering raven, ending at his waist, and free flowing. She'd NEVER seen hair like that; why did it have to look like that?

Both Uchiha brothers were two sides of the same coin. Itachi's long hair was sleek like silk whilst Sasuke's was spiky and rough, though Naru never thought about running her fingers through either.

Another run of the comb through his hair made her jump from the bed and make way for the bathing area, starting the water to cool. Anything to wake up and shake this foreign feeling. This feeling she hated seeing in those girls who swooned over Sasuke. She didn't want to be like them when it came to the other Uchiha brother...that man - that _boy_ \- who killed friends, superiors, the girl who loved him, his own parents - but couldn't his little brother.

Deciding to bathe with a little this morning, Naru slid off the dress lent to her and stepped in, resting on her knees and washing herself off in mostly important areas, finishing off with the lotion on her limbs and neck. She sighed at the heavenly aroma of apples, wishing she had this back home.

 _Is he watching me like I watched him?_

Kurama didn't answer, nor did she feel like turning around, because she didn't want to end up with embarrassment, and if he knew what was good for him, he'd not look at all on his own.

When she was done and was pulling the dress back on, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Naru called, and in came none other than Temari along with an elderly woman with a sweet face unlike many of those Naru Uzumaki encountered in childhood. "Oh, hi!"

The old woman's eyes were squinting in contrast to her sunny smile as she held out a box. "Dearie, your uniform is all ready. Took much longer than anticipated."

"This is Natsumi, our seamstress," Temari said proudly, "and wait till you see the magic she pulled off!"

Naru almost dropped the box after she looked inside and saw what was done to her clothes. Her old self was coming back in no time.

~o~

That morning he sat on the balcony, after washing up - she slept like one solid rock the entire time - and managed to catch Temari who was just leaving the room to check up on Naru's clothes which were supposed to be ready yesterday at sundown.

The air wasn't scorching yet, but enough to dry the flesh of his bare upper body, and enough to dry most of his damp hair which he combed out to keep it the way he preferred. He knew she awoke and saw him, but he didn't acknowledge her with good reason. He was certain what her reaction to seeing him would be, and it wasn't long before he heard water running for a short period of time before it was over.

He was still outside when Temari and the seamstress returned with her garments. Her reaction would have made another fly startled into the wall, but Itachi chuckled, turning halfway to watch the scene: Naru threw her arms around the poor old woman enough to make her laugh but also beg to not break any bones. So the ecstatic blonde apologized and released her, thanking her afterwards.

It seemed nothing was wrong in the world - a moment that he didn't want to end, being at a safe distance and just watching.

Surprise: Temari said she could keep that dress even after she and Itachi would leave. That seemed to make Naru happy as she'd grown relaxed in that thing; on Itachi's part, she looked carefree and angelic.

Itachi chose now to come out, now that they were alone once more and Gaara's sister said she had business to take care of - but it was then that she offered a training spar that made the _Jinchuuriki_ decide she really needed to get back on track.

"Did you hear that?" Naru asked when she turned her attention back to Itachi, who decided he would come back inside and not risk being burned. "I gotta get back to my training, and Temari said me and her." Then her face lit up brighter than before, and then a wicked grin crossed when she looked upon his. He knew exactly what that meant.

 _You want to fight me, to see if you can beat me this time._

He smirked and accepted the challenge.

"Did you have a fine rest after last night...?" he had to ask her, testing to see if she was angry at him. But he saw no trace when she answered him, followed by more questions.

"Just fine thanks to you. But I got to thinking...did Granny know about all of this?"

She spoke of the Godaime Hokage. "She did," Itachi answered, finding his shirt and pulling it over his head. "And if you assume things would have gone differently had she come sooner, you're right, but there is no sense wondering what could have been. It's been done, and that's all. She knew what would happen if the truth came to light; if that happened, I'd have violated all that Shisui entrusted me to do."

"Well, when I become Hokage, I'm going to change that," she said indignantly. "I'll find a way to clear your name once and for all even if I die trying." Itachi looked away. He was tying his hair behind his head when she finally blurted out the important inquisition.

"You had to take on the civilians, but could you have taken on the entire Leaf Police Force if you were only thirteen years old, still in the ANBU Black Ops?"

There it was - and he answered her as soon as he was settled. "You figured it out," he said simply, giving her the answer she needed.

"So who was it?" Naru asked suspiciously.

"Madara Uchiha."

~o~

When he named his accomplice from that night, her world spun as she remembered what Kurama said that day, when Sasuke found his way in to suppress the fox: _**"That vision of yours...a chakra more ominous than my own...you're the spitting image of Madara Uchiha from the elder days."**_

"You said...who is he?" Naru demanded, collapsing onto the foot of the guest bed. He watched her from where he still stood.

"You've heard of him," Itachi stated.

She nodded. "That day we met with Sasuke at Orochimaru's hideout, when Kurama was coming forward, and he was suppressed." _By your brother._ "He said that Sasuke was like...Madara Uchiha. Who is he?" she repeated impatiently.

Itachi didn't answer her right away, instead going to sit down beside her, shifting his body so she had his full attention. "How much do you know about the founding of Konohagakure?" he asked her, the question making her flinch. She hadn't paid much attention to history class, finding it horribly boring and often fell asleep, so Sakura knew more than she did. Although what was in the textbooks...there was more, wasn't there?

"History wasn't a favorite subject, but I only know the First and Second Hokage built it, and the first was the grandfather of Old Lady Fifth," Naru answered. "But what does this have to do with Madara..." She trailed off then and there. "Did he live around their time?"

"He _was_ in their time, even before the founding of the village. In fact, their history has to do with today's events, and the night I acted on my orders," he answered gravely. "But after Konoha settled and the other Five Great Nations followed the example, Madara was all but erased from history except in the minds and memories of those who relive the ghosts as though it were only yesterday."

"Why wasn't he mentioned for us?"

He sounded mildly irritated at her frequent queries, so she stopped talking altogether. "His actions as well as the massacre of his own clan was never meant to be public knowledge," he reminded her. "But long ago, not even nine decades ago, all the great villages were only individual clans hired by every feudal lord, constantly fighting for their rights, and only two were revered as the fiercest: the Uchiha and the Senju of the forest. This was an era of warring states, when ninja were indeed used as tools worse than now, or it hadn't changed much from then. Madara Uchiha, who eventually became clan leader, was revered a god - just like his rival and sometimes friend, Hashirama Senju, who would one day become the Shodaime of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

"Madara was the man to even awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, as did his younger brother. This had never before been seen within the clan, and even now it's rare because of specific reasons." Itachi blinked for emphasis, the action drawing her to look at his eyes which were their normal onyx for the time being...and that was when she saw the slight mist that formed over, like dust gathering on a rock.

 _Is he...?_

He seemed to already know what she was thinking. "It's a special ocular jutsu that can only be used a limited number of times, because it not only uses an incredible amount of chakra, but damages the socket nerves. If you speed it up..."

She finished quietly. "Blindness." Cold horror crept up her spine. "How much longer you think before it's all the way?" If only Sakura were here; she could probably fix that problem up, or if Granny had been here!

"There is likely still time left, if it doesn't come sooner than we plan," he answered, reaching up to rub his eyes before removing his hand, and the irises were red again but with the commas only. "If I have this on, then I see clearly. I find myself doing it more and more lately." He cleared his throat and went on with the story. "But anyway, when Madara began to suffer the symptoms, he reached an alternative so to save the light in his own eyes: by taking those of his younger brother who had been struck down in battle prior, volunteered them before his death. Thus the birth of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, where there is no more worry about darkness."

That was the most morbid, immoral thing she'd ever heard in order to get that kind of power! Angrily, she gritted her teeth again as she thought of how similar Sasuke was to this, having others sacrifice so that he could get what he wanted. "You got yours when Shisui sacrificed his life. And Kakashi-sensei got his when his friend died to save his life."

"Yes to both. And afterwards, Madara found himself back on the battlefield where many heavy losses in both clans left them weary. Hashirama Senju was the one to propose the truce - an alliance that shook the foundations. That was when he voiced his dream of a village being built so that there would be no more fighting, but peace that was earned, and so there would be individual choices made, no children to wield weapons ahead of their time, or even discrimination...but the final was easier said than done in the Uchiha's case," Itachi said, and that was when she noticed the bitter undertone. "The Second Hokage was the reason for that, from the village building to its completion and the time that came in terms of who would be the Hokage."

And he said Tsunade's grandfather was the first one. "So the Uchiha were kept on a leash," she stated.

Itachi nodded, explaining that Madara at first didn't want the alliance, but his followers overruled, being tired of the fighting. So he agreed, but it didn't stop there; when the Five Great Nations formed, trouble brewed even after the Hyuuga, who were also enemies of the Uchiha, were joined in among others. All of them had a role, but the Uchiha were kept out of the governing body. _In other words: the alliance was created to keep the bloodthirsty Uchiha neutralized, and Madara finally saw it that way._

"Madara finally decided to persuade his kin to join him in rebelling so they could regain their power position, but they shunned him for attempting to rekindle the flames of war. That would mean bringing the entire village into a great war. When Hashirama became Shodaime, his younger brother, Tobirama, was named his second-in-command - a spot Madara felt he deserved if he couldn't have the major. He chose to leave the village, but he returned with a vengeance...and with the Nine-Tailed Fox at his command."

The entire time, Naru was amazed at how he put the flesh and muscles on the bones of the story which the history books didn't cover, and with good but angering reasons. "What happened then?" she asked of his ancestor coming back with the fox who was now inside her and quietly listening with her.

"He and Hashirama met in combat, at the place that's now known as the Final Valley; you remember it well."

 _Where Sasuke and I fought. Irony..._

"Madara was said to have been left there to die," Itachi said. "But for reasons unknown, he survived. He hid all those decades to follow, keeping himself alive, waiting for the day to come when he would finish what he started."

Now that she knew, that meant Madara had made himself immortal somehow, like Orochimaru, and he once again set Kurama on their village, the night she was born. He tried to destroy Konoha twice and failed. But he vanished again after the second time, letting the blame fall on what was left of his clan, and that was when Itachi's suffering began.

The Nidaime Hokage started the segregation, then passed it onto those after him, except old man Sandaime didn't support the treatment of the Uchiha.

"Where's Madara now?"

Itachi blinked. "As you figured now, he was the one to help me carry out the butcher of the Uchiha. It had to be done before the night was over, so I picked up on him because there was no one else; no ANBU had to be involved. And he was, up until a year ago, the creator of the Akatsuki. A place that is now mine."

 _The Akatsuki who wore that mask...that was HIM?!_

 _Now_ Kurama was talking. _**Yes, it was that repulsive fiend.**_

"What were his intentions, to do with all the tailed beasts?" she asked angrily. "And where are they now?"

His face darkened, and for a moment, she worried she went too far. "To have all the tailed beasts reunited into one weapon to set upon the entire world, but all that remains are your Nine-Tails and the Eight-Tails of the Hidden Cloud. But after I killed him myself following Pain's attack - yes, I finally stood up to him - and Danzo assumed the Hokage, all that was left of the Akatsuki was myself, Kisame, Deidara and Zetsu. The seven beasts are still in their place at our base, but we will return them in the future as told."

He was done talking, leaving her to her thoughts and overwhelmed by everything. What made it worse was that Madara Uchiha, the rebellious leader and ancestor of this man in front of her, had participated in ruining his life, Sasuke's - and HERS. _But he's dead, so that makes one more._

The Uchiha rejected their leader, thinking he was only paranoid, but then they recognized the Senju reducing them into dogs to bark orders at. The Second Hokage was to blame, not them. If only Tsunade was found sooner, like she said before. And if only her father had lived during the Kyuubi attack; could he have prevented the coup?

Sasuke knew nothing, and the longer he was in the dark, things had been more hopeless than before. And she couldn't do anything to pull him out.

"So now that I am here with you, what do we do about Sasuke as well?"

 **The fourth chapter of "Vespertine" deserves credit for this. :) Review!**


	9. No Choice: Weighing the Scales

Chapter Nine

No Choice: Weighing the Scales

"For the time being, nothing can be done about Sasuke."

She supposed she shouldn't be surprised about his response, because he was right, and Orochimaru was no longer a threat. That she could accept. "But we still can help him, right? He isn't manipulated by that rotten bastard anymore -"

Itachi interrupted her. "And I called you a child for believing you could save both my brother and our village. Konoha is more important than him at the present," he reminded her. "You really think you still have a chance now that you know? Even if he learned, he would not take it as well as you." _Sasuke chose to leave on his own. He wanted nothing to do with any of us; I couldn't bring him back if I wanted to._

Which meant that if Sasuke wanted to come home, that was his choice. If he did threaten her, her friends again as well as the village for sure, she would have to kill him...or try to.

"Naru, your choice is to kill Sasuke, or be killed by him. He's not the boy you remember."

 _I refuse to believe that. I don't want to be a loser, but I don't want to kill him either. There is no option..._

When she said this, Itachi said nothing - and then that smile appeared again on his face...but this time she saw that it wasn't the kind to mess around and warn that you weren't going to like what happened next. It was a _genuine_ smirk that she had no idea how to react - but she knew she _liked_ it.

Now she knew what he'd been doing. He was testing her to see if she would waver in her faith for his brother. And that meant he was glad she wasn't giving up - yet. "My little brother doesn't realize how lucky he is to have you as a friend."

Was it her imagination...or was he showing a more human side now? Why hadn't he done this before when it was just the two of them?

"He came out and said that we became best friends, that day at the Final Valley," Naru said, finding herself locked into his gaze. "He actually said that, maybe even the sister he never had." Her heart clenched as her lips quivered. "And he had to tell me then of all times!"

Her body acted against her brain, because she found herself throwing her arms around his neck, needing someone to hold onto - and his body stiffened as he never expected her to do that. _I didn't even think, just did! I'm just as surprised!_

 _ **Obviously, you know but don't realize it.**_

 _What do you mean by that, Kurama?_

 _ **He gives you what that brat brother of his never did, so you figure the rest out, runt.**_

The fox was right; Itachi was there for her the most nowadays, and so was Gaara, and the truth about one made her decide he was more of a man than Sasuke ever would be. Her former teammate never understood the pain of those who lived during war, especially his own brother. So while she was sure she still cared about him to help him, he had to earn respect and trust back on his own.

"Naru."

Itachi was speechless, and all he could say was her name. It must have been a long time since he had been embraced by someone, which broke her heart. She hadn't hugged or been hugged either, and with reason since she'd been starved of love, which was so much more and so different than friendship alone.

Naru realized she did want something like that, but because of everything happening, she was scared again.

~o~

The Kazekage couldn't be present all the time, because of loads of paperwork that never ended, but today Gaara made the time because this was his sister as well as Naru having a sparring session. Indoors when the weather was torrid and unbearable.

Here was Naru, having changed out of the dress since she said she didn't want to ruin it in the fight - and that was when they all, Itachi included, saw her for the first time in her newly done getup...and what a vision she was: the vest was orange, the sleeves reaching her elbows, and it was unzipped a little in the front to show the fishnet underneath. It was finished with standard Shinobi trousers and sandals, but his attention was snagged by the delicate rope around her neck.

 _Please don't be destroyed in combat_.

He and the Kazekage - Kankuro away for an assignment outside the village, involving bandits attacking nobility caravans - were enjoying the sight of the two women going at each other and giving it all they had.

"When this is over, it's time I give Naru what she needs more than I," Gaara told him quietly. "I would have learned to master it had Shukaku still been inside me."

The Uchiha had a suspicion what he was talking about, and he would find out as soon as the match was over. Through the entirety, Temari's Giant Folding Fan against Naru's versions of Rasengan nearly tore the indoor walls to the ground, resulting in collateral damage, but when it was all over and both Wind users canceled each other out, the Kazekage's sister was the one who was down and the Uzumaki exited her glowing Nine-Tails mode.

He had seen many mind-blowing things all his life, but she was ever full of surprises.

"I haven't been down in a hell of a long time," Temari said, dusting herself off as they were all leaving the grounds, and she said she could use a cold scrubbing. Women and their appearances, but Itachi knew that too well. "Naru, you really are something else! I'm jealous!" But she was laughing, and she gave the other a high five.

Gaara gave a "hmph" of approval, still working on more appraisal since this was still his friend. Personal and politics were separate from each other. Then he announced that he had something for Naru to see, because he felt now was any good time to give it to her - but for her to begin her training with it as soon as possible. Her eyes lit up, but Temari was a bit wary if agreeing.

"My father acquired it - or rather, he _stole_ it, but that is all anyone knows," Gaara explained as they finally reached the lowermost levels of the Kazekage Tower, where the greatest weapon was hidden safely under lock and key, where only the Kazekage had access. There were others that were older than the ones upstairs, but this at the altar was most special. It lay in a dusted black box secured by seals that were broken, and it was opened so that Naru and Itachi could see the contents.

A _wakizashi_ at first sight, to accommodate feminine size, but whether or not man or woman wielded it, its power was immense when it was unleashed. The hilt was sculpted mahogany wood without an orient, which meant anyone could use it. The blade had the inscription **クトネ** carved in from the base of the hilt.

"The Kutone Blade," Itachi breathed, taking in the simple, delicate intricacy of the weapon that was mythicized to have been manufactured in the time of the Sage of Six Paths. Wielded by himself, but then it was said to have been lost after his death. Until the First Shinobi War came to be, it was discovered again and was hidden away on orders of the Second Hokage...

"Oh, wow, that is...way beyond cool!" Naru exclaimed, her eyes white balls and her jawline squared. "If there's one good thing about your dad, then it's having something that can kick ass if you're like us!"

That brought another serene smile on the Kazekage's face - but it was also troubled. The man had his own son made a host for a monster before he was born, kept him isolated from his own siblings as well as attempted assassination many times, used his own brother-in-law. The boy shunned love and friendship as a result...but look at him now.

"Have you ever used it in training?" she asked, picking it up after being granted permission, and in awe at how its weight balanced in both hands and one alone. Her eyes flashed as did its blade in the light.

Sadly, Gaara shook his head. "No. I was unpredictable by the time I met you, as you remember. I would have had I reached an older age, like before now. The Kutone Blade is said to be compatible with the chakra of every _Jinchuuriki_ , but it was once fought for as a prize before vanishing, and then rediscovered by the Nidaime of Konoha - until he ordered it hidden. During the Second Shinobi War, it was uncovered once more by the Sandaime Tsuchikage of the Hidden Rock Village and fought once again between the three, leading again to its hiding away...finally ending with my father finding it and keeping it under lock and key because our home was struggling moreso than the other villages, and there was no way we could dirty our hands with Water, Earth and Lightning Lands after everything." He shook his head. "So your village's lesser expenses were used to help us, though Father saw us on the verge of extinction, and you know what happened.

"Ultimately, it was decided that when I started having more control of Shukaku, he deemed me able to use the sword in training, but only AFTER the Chuunin Exams - which was when he thought that bringing the Leaf down would make us reach the top again."

 _ **He sent loyals to their deaths to better his village, even used his own son in a manner Minato never would have wanted you to be.**_

 _Yeah, you're right, Kurama. He was under pressure from the Council and his subordinates, too, wasn't he? But that still doesn't mean I should forgive him for what he did to his own son..._

Torn between love and duty was the man, but as far as Naru was concerned, both should be balanced evenly, and she was going to show it.

"So, you get to have it, Naru."

Grinning, she accepted, and thanked him. "I'll make good use of it! It's gonna have its day when we save the Hidden Leaf Village!"

If she had anything to say about it, she'd say this was the Samehada she envied and had been looking for. Her prayers had been answered...and it could be a worthy match to Sasuke's Kusanagi when they met again.

~o~

He finally heard back regarding Sasuke, and the news was worse than imagined. He didn't want to acknowledge that his beloved _otouto_ would have stooped this low, but the means was far more disturbing if also half-expected.

Danzo had contacted Sasuke, because of his intentions to have both Itachi and Naru eliminated once and for all, and easily enough, the second to last Uchiha agreed - though it was obvious that he was suspicious of the Hokage's motives. He agreed just because Itachi was involved, the one he wanted to kill.

There was no telling if he was going to kill Naru if they met again. But if he did, then she had to use the Kutone against Sasuke's Kusanagi. Itachi could picture it all and how there could not be canceling out this time...or he was wrong. Wind and fire always grew stronger together.

On second thought, she could appeal to him now that she understood better than ever.

He issued a coded message that the rest of the Akatsuki would understand, and that meant he and Naru had to get away from here as soon as possible, but before that, he had training to give the woman who was all the more making him swell with a feeling that he hadn't felt with Izumi as she did for him. That embrace she gave him caught him off-guard as he never thought he would get that since he alienated himself from his own little brother.

He looked forward to seeing her use the sword of legend that only the host of a tailed beast could master.

 **In Okami, the** _ **kutone**_ **is wielded by a swordsman named Oki and used to slay demonic twins Nechku and Lechku. Other than that, I don't know the entire story. A friend suggested the weapon in naming the Demon's Blade.**

 **So, await when Naru finally uses it. :D EEEEEE! And reviews much appreciated.**


	10. Dance of Ecstasy: Naru's New Toy!

**Goddamn, not long ago, I had a stressful day. Computer is protected by antivirus, and the icon had a yellow exclamation mark. Agents helped me out, and two hours went by that I freaked for nothing. It simply signified that I'm due for expiration in the next month, but no problem since I intend to renew. I just hope everything gonna be alright until then.**

Chapter Ten

Dance of Ecstasy: Naru's New Toy!

"This is...not good."

Gaara's lack of words was all he needed when Itachi came and gave him the news regarding his brother. He simply stared at the message without even a blink; Temari was shaking her head and heaving heavy breaths.

"If he gets to raise his sword on her, then I'll Wind Scythe him myself," she seethed. "Or are you going to do that for me?"

"I hope it doesn't happen," Itachi answered. "But I doubt he'd have agreed so easily. He doesn't take any kind of help if they don't meet his standards - nor does he not realize that they have ulterior motive. He has to know Danzo has just that."

The Kazekage pursed his lips. "Perhaps, but that doesn't lessen the danger and possibility of you two being found here. I would advise in getting her away from here and taking her back to your base, wherever it is, and then we will have our Shinobi assembled before the deadline for her friends is up," he said, leaning back and then holding up a letter that he just received from one of the messengers. "It seems the timing couldn't be more perfect." The ghost of a smile crossed his features then.

Itachi raised both eyebrows slightly, asking the young man whatever it could be - and the answer was irony in itself.

"The next of the Chuunin Exams are to be held in a couple weeks from today - and happens to be three days before the planned execution of Naru's friends should they still not say a word. That is the day we strike."

So, in the meantime, he leave as soon as possible with Naru - and would teach her how to master her Demonic Sword since it didn't seem possible she could muster it all in a short time here in Suna. "That sounds plausible enough, assuming we shouldn't get innocent people involved in this," he said firmly. "I highly doubt the Hokage will want to evacuate everyone not apart of the Shinobi system, or perhaps he would consider and not because he genuinely loves them." _If there is a means we can get the civilians out of there during the Chuunin Exams. We can get a coded message to Kakashi Hatake and loyal ANBU who could arrange the evacuations if things get horrendous, which is bound to be..._

"Then we'll have a hawk go out and give a message to Kakashi Hatake," Temari said with a smirk, "and he can orchestrate the plan to get all the civilians out of the mess when it bursts. It'll be just like that one time - but different." She referred to that day at the exams when Orochimaru set about attacking Konoha with both his Sound-nin and Sand's, the latter never seeing their leader would be killed in betrayal.

This time: they were repeating history, this time involving helping Naru Uzumaki - and Itachi Uchiha - save the village they loved. That, and the Akatsuki were coming along for the ride.

There was also Sasuke to deal with, but he was secondary as far as they were all concerned, and he would be saved until Konoha was retaken, but plans could always change.

Itachi eventually found himself outdoors, henge in place, and seeing Naru in the training ground with the Kutone in hand...and the sight was a glory to behold. She would go from the various stages and scream her strength with each lash out: from her normal stage and the visible blue chakra convulsing all over the blade, to her Sage Mode and eventually Tailed Beast Chakra Mode with golden yellow.

The sword was at its extreme as it channeled the user's chakra into its system. But let's see how it would fare against Samehada which devoured the energy.

The shining, crackling blue blade sliced cleanly through all wooden targets - especially clay, but not the walls. That was Itachi's cue to slap both his hands together before himself, getting her attention and smiling at her. She returned it, grinning and pushing her hair back. She'd broken out into so much sweat that some of it got into her clothing. She was such a delicate mess that she didn't have a care.

Although he had come here to tell her the news she had to hear.

~o~

"So I'm going to face Sasuke on the way back home."

The possibility all but came to the front of her psyche when Itachi told her everything: they would strike on the final day of the upcoming Chuunin Exams. The first one would be before Sai and Ino's fate, but they would make it in time - and it was like history was repeating itself...but different this time.

"We have more planning to discuss, however," Itachi told her when he was done. "Gaara could be invited to participate actively, and that means his Shinobi stationed at every corner. Then a diversion has to be created to draw all Hidden Leaf ninja away from the grounds and civilians at all times. As long as we can get Kakashi and the others on board without risk of discovery by Danzo and his spies..."

 _Damned right._

That left one idea: for Deidara to drop a bomb that creates a diversion and draws many away from the arena of the third and final part. She brought this up to Itachi, and he hummed in consideration, then stated firmly, "He could get too carried away; that's his nature."

"But who is he to not listen to you?" Naru pointed out with a wink. _Who says no to Itachi Uchiha without facing the wrath of the Sharingan?_ But if his eyesight was that bad, then he couldn't use Tsukuyomi on anyone, even Deidara.

He smirked to her words.

It was settled that after tomorrow, they had to leave, because Itachi wanted to spar with her and test her ability with the Kutone Blade, and she was ecstatic to duel with him so that he would see his match. This thing - it was more than anything she could have asked for. Kurama hooted with her as she cut through anything without difficulty. _**You were never good with weapons in the early stages, remember?**_

 _Yeah, but this thing is eager to work with me!_

The first time she picked it up, she expected it to be too heavy for her, but it was accommodated for anyone, male or female. This was her first time using a sword, imagining going toe to toe with Sasuke finally and seeing that look in his eyes when she was done with him...

All this thing could do was channel her chakra. Channel it so that she could strike her targets from a distance, but as long as it wasn't too far away. Sage Mode could help her slash at intended spots as much as she could throw her punches. The feeling was INCREDIBLE! She'd come so far since the Rasengan and her shadow clones; she could imagine her cloned selves taking this baby to the next level; she had never been so enthralled in her life, so _powerful!_

The image of seeing Itachi on the floor like Temari had been was something she looked forward to seeing, and she wasn't getting ahead of herself.

Later that evening, she was getting ready for bed, and that was when she saw something peculiar that she never once thought she would see in a million years of living: a rubbery looking thing that she had no idea what it was. Then Temari's voice startled her behind her.

"That thing, Naru, is something I'm sure you've never tried in your life, which doesn't surprise me. Maybe you should give it a shot before you leave and get your home back. It's sad to just live abstinent, which is not something a Shinobi keeps every day."

Naru's cheeks turned so pink she couldn't remember the last time she'd had this kind of talk. It took her back to when she had to learn about these things the very first time she started bleeding monthly; old man Third was red to the face when he explained that these matters were best kept among women, so the female doctor he recommended was nice to her when she taught her how to handle it, but after three months, she finally got the hang of it. Five days' time for her.

But never did she once bring up the topic about _sex_. Because she had zero interest in boys, so the subject wasn't something she liked besides mastering the Sexy Jutsu.

Although...she never expected anything like what Temari was explaining, and that was something which had no words for the rush of blood and heat in her cheeks.

Thank God Itachi wasn't here to see her embarrassment.

And what made things hard was his presence alone as she ended up being outside, on the balcony, while Temari and HE were asleep. She was restless. She was back in the dress given to her, and nothing else beneath. Grimacing, regretfully, she admitted that there was no way to get this going. She'd NEVER done anything like this before...but the thrill got her body thrumming, so that was a start.

The rubbery thing in her hands felt soft on the outside, but underneath was hard machinery to get it working, and there was a button on the other end that wasn't the mushroom-like part that Temari said was none other than the man's sexual organ, which pushed her over the edge in knowing ALL males had this - and that caused disturbing images in her head in terms of all the guys in her life...

...especially the one who was out in the bed she was given. And _that_ image was enough to cause her own _sexual organ_ to start buzzing to life. The itching was subtle. She tried rubbing her thighs together - she was standing up and backed against the wall - but the feeling only increased.

She held it up and looked at it again, at the clear-silver material and found the button, swallowing a moan that rose from the bottom of her throat. She was having a little problem here, and she couldn't delay it anymore. Just put what Temari instructed to work, and it was that simple. Pulling up her skirt and exposing shaven, toned legs, she brought the toy up and rested the humming thing where she had her issue.

This feeling on her overtly sensitive skin - God damn, it took her to places she _NEVER_ knew existed - and then a name slipped out of her lips before she started thinking about him and got lost altogether, just like being in a hot spring.

 _"Itachi."_

~o~

He was feigning sleep, at least until he noticed that she didn't come to bed, and he at first thought she needed to be on the balcony for fresh air, have her thoughts or something alone...but then he heard the faint sound of buzzing, then moans and none other than _his name._

This heightened what he tried pushing to the back of his subconscious for the time being...but the knowledge and the sight he secretly was greeted with caused his body to react otherwise.

 _Naru against the sanded wall, her thighs parted and the ethereal white skirt pulled high enough to show smooth skin and a vibrating toy where her legs joined...that gaze of ecstasy on her face...I've never seen anything so intoxicating as her. A woman untouched by any man._

He knew she was doing this because she thought she could explore uncharted territory, to awaken the sleeping core that she never thought she had and unleash the needs that life offered her - but he _never_ thought his name would leave her lips.

He couldn't say that she shouldn't even be doing this for him, while his inner self said otherwise, because he was tired of being alone and abstinent. And that did NOT mean he was going to jump that opportunity tonight, when Temari was also in the room.

She looked like she was also too into the moment herself to appreciate any interruptions either. The longer he stayed on the other side of the doorway, safely out of her eyesight and savoring the moment, the harder his erection grew. _She could easily be seen by another if not solely by me!_ But she didn't seem to take that into consideration.

Biting his lip to the point of drawing blood, Itachi reached with one hand down into his pants, brushing over the bush of his apex, finding the hard flesh that flared up at the contact. The friction caused his knees to buckle as he continued to watch her until he decided to just retreat back into the room, choosing to hide out beneath the blanket and making sure to conceal his release as soon as it was over, so that no questions would be asked.

Just like she uttered his name, hers escaped past his lips, praying it wouldn't be heard by her - or Temari, God forbid.

 **Tonight has also been a couple hours of stomach nausea and a mild migraine, but not due to the issues that happened a few days ago.**

 **A couple more days until...HAPPY HALLOWEEN! :D**

 **The toy Naru used was inspired by one I found on the Kama Sutra website: "Known as the** _ **Sword Dance**_ **, performers energetically whirl and move with DANDIYA sticks at various rhythms in devotion of the goddess. Free the goddess within and reach ecstasy."**

 **Reviews are still appreciated, and I promise next chapter we finally continue on with the bigger issues. High time we did that.**


	11. The Sword of a Heroine!

**So, a month has gone by, and my aunt here as well as nothing of the worst happened yet, except one thing: my grandmother was hospitalized for pneumonia, but she always took care of herself. Except for the issues she has right now. Let's see if we can get her fixed for a longer life than now. :(**

 **I've also been on a roll with "Allure of Darkness" if anyone noticed. XD**

 **So tread carefully when you read this chapter. Major character death in here, and it won't be the end of it. Get a Kleenex box (as I always say) before you take the walkthrough.**

Chapter Eleven

The Sword of a Heroine!

"You've never wielded a sword in your life - nothing bigger than your hands could hold."

His goading was mild, but it set her off all the same. Growling, blue chakra glowing about the blade, she brought it down against his which was a katana, and he used to wield one during his years in the Black Ops. He had discarded his cloak - though he had his disguise in place. They were outside once more where there was all the free space provided.

 _This is a good time to get my frustration out in the open._

Kurama sniggered and ran his claws across the bar of his cage. _**Gee, I wonder why.**_

She clenched her teeth. _You enjoyed the show, haven't you?_

 _ **Enough...and you were in too deep to notice**_ **his** _ **presence when you moaned his name like a wanton vixen. That's the first for you.**_

She felt her cheeks turn hot, praying they weren't red enough for Itachi to notice. Him and his bluntness! And if he kept this up, she would end up distracted before she had Itachi flat and down now that she had one of the most powerful blades in the palms of both hands. A chakra-charged steel that would cut through that Danzo and anyone else with him.

Thinking about how he had the Hyuuga clan swayed made her wonder how Hinata was, and Neji. If she knew them both, they disagreed but had no choice if they wanted to live.

Shikamaru would no doubt say everything was more of a drag than it used to be, and she had no idea about Choji or Shino.

Lee? Would he be so energetic and filled with springtime youth if his village was a warzone at a lot of corners? Would Tenten feel they could idly just sit by and endure this mess? She was sure Kiba would be barking more than Akamaru.

 _Sakura must have her hands full with a lot more dying than they deserved._

With each furious thought, Naru clashed with Itachi's sword, and with one more stroke, his was split cleanly in half. She was sweating bullets down her forehead and bared arms, and he was doing the same. Both fell to their knees, and that was a first to see the indomitable Uchiha down like that, giving her an ounce of victory and pride.

"You really have gotten stronger. Are you certain I didn't let you win?" he asked after a few pants of breath, then stood up just as she was doing so. "Or is it anger that caused you to be so relentless?"

Naru froze in her place and looked him square in the eyes, just as she felt a small river of perspiration glide between her eyes and over the right side of her nose, and his intense onyx eyes followed that trail. But it wasn't just because of the question in which he saw the reason behind her ferocious attacks.

It was also the sight of him, especially after last night. His sleeveless mesh shirt, the rippling muscles - and the swirling tattoos on both forearms, of the ANBU. Skin glistening softly, granted that he was used to being in every form of the weather by now so wasn't complaining or even wiping it away. It roused that feeling in her lower body if thinking about him last night and using Temari's present didn't help at all. Just a little.

"You're right. I'm angry - no, MAD as hell," Naru spat, chakra crackling and clashing with blue and red. "Because if I see my friends again, I have no idea what to even expect."

He nodded. "Try not to get your hopes too high or think too much. It's best you don't spend your time obsessing over it," he said as always, not much good with comforting words, just gonna say it like it was. _Yeah, too much stress._ And then he smiled as he extended a hand out to her, as an offer for hers; she held the sword with her left and gave him her right.

His slick skin against hers ignited yet another spark that became a bigger flame and coursed through her body. She could sense it off of him, too.

Above, a messenger hawk was on its way to Konoha at the same time a giant clay bird was making its way towards Suna.

~o~

"Un, lovebirds, we finally come back!" Deidara said as he lowered the bird to their rendezvous, after everything was settled and they were ready to get to work, and with barely three weeks ahead of them. "Do we have a lot to report to you! And Naru, girl, you look like you're back in business!" He whistled when he looked her over; was he finally seeing something besides his singular world of art or something?

And wait, he just said "lovebirds" - that had to be a joke or something. But she was tempted to agree with him...

"I sure am," Naru answered, grinning, then flaunting the hilt of the _wakizashi_ behind her back. "I even got a brand new weapon: this here is the most famous blade in history that was held by the Sage of Six Paths himself. It's been held by the strongest of all Shinobi - notably the Second Hokage, the Third Tsuchikage, and Gaara's father, but it's to be wielded by _Jinchuuriki_ only. It's been lost so many times only to be in the Sand Village the entire time. Now I have it here!"

Deidara's jaw dropped in utter disbelief while Kisame's eyes sparkled at the incredible amount of chakra Samehada could consume, but he was going to guess again. "I'm impressed," the shark man said. "I could look forward to the day my friend will devour your chakra..."

"No, Kisame," Itachi interrupted, getting onto the bird right after her, saving her from saying something snarky. _Spoiling the fun._ "So what intel do you have to report?"

That was when the air shifted to tension, alarm bells sounding off the worst.

"Well, we kept a low profile until we were hit in the faces. We not only came across Leaf Shinobi, but we also ran into a...certain someone who is definitely on your high end, Itachi," Deidara said, and his mouth was in a tight line. "He thought to put up a fight himself - before he brought forth a handful of his own at his disposal. Chick with red hair and glasses, another who got the Executioner's Blade and went toe-to-toe with Kisame here, and another who goes on a crazed rampage because he got a Curse Mark."

Naru thought her heart had stopped in its tracks. One person with someone behind him and bearing a Curse Mark...that could only be one person. She and Itachi both said the name at once.

"Sasuke."

"Yeah, that is right," Kisame said. "That rat really has gotten better, but I won't say he is exactly like the snake. But Zetsu is inside the current hideout as we speak, and we'll rendezvous as soon as possible. He'll finally report what your idiotic little brother has really been up to."

 _Not like Orochimaru after all. Building up so that he could get us for good, that's why. But you said...there's four of them. And there's also four of us._

The odds were even, but actually, there was five if you counted Zetsu, and that plant-freak wasn't even a physical combatant. But either way...

They were off in the air in no time. But she had to know - "Who were the Leaf-nin you speak off?" Naru asked, pushing her hair behind her back as it got over her face.

Kisame answered. "Danzo sent out one Genin and perhaps three Jounin who came across us when we were just chilling after getting everything we needed - and it wasn't a regret of ours since they chose to just attack us and demand where YOU were. The boy really put up a fight the most and got himself...accidentally blown up when blondie here set off his bombs in the ground."

Deidara's C2 dragon she remembered, which vomited mined bombs that the enemy would never see coming...

Her heart froze as it began pumping with fear in the core. "Who was the boy?" she demanded.

"Huh, named after the village and said he was the grandson of the Third, and that you were his friend whom he ran behind, taught him everything he knew - and he showed off your great chakra ball," Deidara stated, mouth tight and without even a hint of remorse.

 _Oh, no..._

It couldn't be real. But everything the men said, as much as she wanted to blame them, indeed happened because they never lied about anything. The Konoha ninja were three Jounin, but didn't divulge who, except the boy with the mentioned "chakra ball" that SHE taught him...it was _Konohamaru._

Konohamaru Sarutobi, grandson of the Sandaime, who was like a little brother from the moment she finished at the Academy - he had been killed by _Deidara's bombs,_ but the one who sent him out was the one to blame. Both Deidara and Kisame were just scouting and having no trouble until they were affronted, and both sides had no choice.

She should blame Deidara because he attacked her own people, except...

"I...hate him. I want to hate you for killing him," she hissed finally, but before there could be anything else, there was the sound of a bird calling, and it didn't come from either of them. It happened from the rear end, and all heads whipped around to see a giant hawk-like bird with black ink markings around its eyes...and Naru instantly activated Sage Mode to see better as well as sense the cold chakra.

She saw the rider and gasped, also recognizing the great bird as a summoning animal. She nearly leaned into Itachi just as he, too, saw who it was.

"Sasuke!"

~o~

There was still no word from the rogue Uchiha - and he spoke of the one he "contracted", but as soon as Sasuke Uchiha served his purpose, the fool would be in for a surprise trap and then face judgment. However, there was other light news.

"Lord Danzo, we had found a lock on Lady Tsunade's whereabouts, but she is no longer in the village. The trail goes cold after that towards Sunagakure, and if it's true, then Naru Uzumaki and the Akatsuki could find her."

So...one more obstacle was still alive, he mused, but that was hardly an issue. Knowing any conditions she lived under and her weakened state during her coma, Tsunade wouldn't be able to live very long. But if that _Jinchuuriki_ and her "friends" found the woman, who knew what would happen. "Well, Torune, you and Fuu know what to do if you find them," Danzo stated before picking up the steaming cup of green tea.

~o~

Sasuke was here.

He was here, and he was pursuing them all on a summoned giant hawk. It had to be taken on lowered ground, where there was no one in the distance. Naru looked down and scanned, Sage marks around her eyes, and said there was no one down for the time being, and here they had crossed into River Country, which was where the Akatsuki hideout was.

"Down we go!" Deidara yelled as he brought them down and all hopped off, in time for the clay bird to take flight and go off like an explosion in the air, near the great bird without striking it. The hawk screeched and vanished in a puff of smoke, causing its summoner to drop many feet from the sky and onto the ground, crouched at first before standing upright and putting one hand on his hip as means of show.

"Attack again and there's going to be no more mercy - for each and every one of you," Sasuke said coldly.

"Sasuke," Naru said through her teeth. Her hand was going to the sword behind her back, ready to draw it out if here and now was perfect for her. It was the four of them against one, and those three "friends" of his weren't anywhere in perimeter.

He was just like she remembered last time: the opened white tunic to show his muscled frame - because when he would activate the Curse Mark's second level - and the purple belt tied around his waist. But because of their history, she had no reason to call him handsome even though hormonal girls would see it. She wouldn't be surprised if any female followers of his did.

He raised an eyebrow in response. "Naru," he answered. "I thought that you'd been broken out of the village by the monster who isn't my brother. Danzo wasn't lying after all."

"So, he did contract you to hunt us for him," Itachi said icily, standing beside her. "Well, I'm afraid that will have to be a disappointment for you, foolish little brother."

"You have no right telling me what I'm going to do," the younger spat, reaching for his sword behind his back, and Naru was inclined to do the same. When he noticed, his eyes widened slightly. "Where did you get that sword, Naru?" he demanded. She grinned at him.

"This, Sasuke, is something I got from a friend and learned to master with help - but what about you? Your blade is special, but this here is much more." She thought to return his words back onto him, like he did when both of them let their inner demons out at the Final Valley: he in the second stage of the Curse Mark and she Nine-Tails.

His bulging, dismayed eyes were enough to make her want to laugh, but then the venom spewed forth when those eyes narrowed. "What the hell is that?" He was super pissed that she insulted his masculinity which involved swords - and hers was small compared to that big-ass behind his back. But hers had more than that lightning channeling thing which just cut through durable objects.

"That, you little fool," Kisame said for her, "is what you're no match for. Have you a history lesson on the Kutone Blade?"

 _I'm really enjoying the look on his face, Kurama._

 _ **So am I. Look, he's jealous but won't let it overcome him.**_

"I know of the Kutone Blade," Sasuke responded, impatient that they were all still talking. "Orochimaru used to search for it, but I have no interest in it for myself. And even if I did, how could I use it when I'm not a _Jinchuuriki?_ "

"If you're not into getting all the jutsu in the world, what the hell are you doing in his place? If I had my way, you would have been back at the village instead of being out here with Danzo's price on your head," Naru snarled back.

The Kusanagi was out in a flash, the blade shining bright in the sunlight, and at the same time the Kutone was out to match, though greatly differed in size. "I couldn't care less about what is over my head," he snapped. "And it's not like you here now is going to make me go back on my own. I agreed to that rat because of you - and you," he added, turning his attention back to Itachi who could only glare at him with disappointment and contempt.

"What reward did Danzo offer you if you succeeded?"

"None of your business, Itachi," the younger shot back. "I just want you dead."

The chakra buzzed around the steel. "How much did he tell you?" she demanded. "You'd better answer or go through me. I was looking forward to kicking your ass once and for all, and have you look up at me with the respect I deserve."

"I'm not here for a fun spar, because I have to do what was promised of me: to find where you all are, and then be rewarded with Itachi's death by my hands. And he said you were locked up for protesting the warrant, Naru. You always were reckless, and I see you haven't changed a bit."

 _Oh, that does it!_ She was ready to charge him, but Itachi's hand stopped her. "No, don't let him provoke you," he said quietly. "Sasuke, you don't suspect Danzo has plans for your capture once you've served your purpose, do you?"

Sasuke scowled coldly. "You think I would be a fool to just agree to that without suspecting? He has no idea the tricks that I have up my sleeve, and I don't exaggerate," he stated, lowering his sword and put it behind him again. Gritting her teeth, Naru did the same.

"You don't care he's using you, as always - as long as you get what you want."

He smirked at her, pleased that she knew him that well, but the bastard had no idea how much more.

"That naïve, childlike female brain of yours is finally processing the reality."

 **In terms of deciding on Konohamaru's death, knowing what it would do to Naru, it had been the hardest decision to do. And the fact it had been an accident doesn't excuse her obvious hatred of Deidara because of what she knows about him. There's definitely gonna be a bigger confrontation very soon, so it's far from over.**

 **This idea to have Konohamaru die was also in a discussion with my male friend who said he personally had yet to read a story where the Third Hokage's grandson (and one of Naru's/Naruto's dearest friends) died. But not out of a sense of pleasure, I promise. Please don't flame either of us.**

 **Wait always worth it, good ol' and nicely detailed reviews (without being BIG like essay-form) are appreciated. :D**


	12. Death of a Legend

**So, thanks to the support from all as always. :) As for Naru hating Sasuke (so it seems), it's just like that because we know he hurt her and their friends for nothing, though you have to ask yourself why it's so goddamned hard to patch things up. I'm keeping true to canon spirit while also trying to make it my own, which is NEVER easy for any of us. No one can really replicate Kishimoto-sensei's hand.**

 **If the loss of Konohamaru wasn't enough, get ready for this one. :'(**

Chapter Twelve

Death of a Legend

 _You really haven't changed a bit, foolish_ otouto. _In fact, you are worse than ever._

But Itachi also saw that Sasuke wasn't as foolish as he thought, since he was indeed aware of Danzo's obvious malice, yet it was like him always to pursue what he wanted no matter the consequences and the cost of his own life. And it was like him to provoke Naru because he wanted to.

And he said he had no interest in the Kutone Blade for himself; he didn't let the hint of its smaller size and greater power than the Kusanagi faze him either. But there was no telling if he hid his true frustration or not.

But when his brother called Naru naïve and female, he finally decided to defend her because he could not bear Sasuke's treatment of her. "Enough demeaning her, Sasuke," he finally snapped. "When will you finally stop being such an impudent scoundrel?"

Onyx eyes flashed red with three tomoe, telling him that the Mangekyo was not obtained, and of course he couldn't kill his best friend - which meant there was still some hope in Sasuke, after all. "And the show of those eyes tells me that you really dare to come before us with weak resolve, which means you don't have it in you to kill your best friend like you claimed you would," Itachi went on, guiltily enjoying this and savoring the sniggering from Kisame, Deidara's snort and finally Naru's grin as she darted back and forth between him and Sasuke.

"You heard him, Sasuke. You know something? I hate you for what you did to me and our friends, but you're here now, and since you're nothing like Orochimaru, maybe you can do something different than turning us over to Danzo. There has to be another way besides getting your precious revenge."

 _Naru, what are you doing?!_

His mask dropped a little to show his surprise that matched that of Deidara and Kisame. But maybe not as much as it did to Sasuke who demanded, "What did you say?"

"I said..." Naru clenched her hands into fists. "...that you can do something with us until you get your revenge. I'm going back home to save my village from Danzo, and these men - including your brother you hate so much - are going to help me. They're honoring their word, and they've done it thus far. It might sound no different than what Orochimaru promised you, but it has nothing to do with power. I'm going to reclaim my home from the wrong hands, get it back to the way it was!"

Birds could be heard overhead, especially the call of a hawk, but not his brother's summons. The wind was picking up, and it caused Itachi's hair to fly into his face; he reached up to push it back, and Naru noticed this but said nothing.

"You're saying I should join forces with you scumbags," Sasuke stated, unimpressed. "Why should I, and what would I really get out of this? I'd say you would try to stop me from killing you when I get the chance." Itachi sighed, shaking his head at this waste of time. They all had to get to the hideout as soon as possible.

"Naru is still your friend whether she claims to hate you, but I know better. You hate me, but I am going to help her. I have no interest in staining my hands with blood except those of Danzo and his followers. As long as I am leader of the Akatsuki, there won't be anything of the sort."

"I have no reason to believe what you say, so I have no idea what you're playing at, Itachi. There is only one thing in the world I want, and it's you dead."

Kisame scoffed and pulled Samehada out, slamming its heavy tip to the earth, causing the ground to rumble a moment and return to normal. "Kid, you're really getting on all of our nerves - especially mine. Itachi, I should just siphon his chakra just for you, and we can all take him without any trouble. Or better yet -" He grinned. "- Princess here can just place a deal." She jerked her head at him in disbelief.

"What are you talking about, Kisame?" And instantly, she could have just slapped her forehead as she realized the hint. "Oh, I get it." She turned her attention back to Sasuke.

"Sasuke, how about this: you and I fight here and now. If you win, then you can just walk away and go report to the old man. But if _I_ win, then you come with us whether you like it or not."

Itachi let himself smirk, and the men seemed to like the idea...except for Sasuke, there was only a gleam in his eyes for the first half of the bargain that was in his own best interests. "Then I accept the challenge, loser."

Loser - that was what he called her when they were young Genin, which was what he still was even after he left the Leaf Village. But sometimes an insult could hide something else. Itachi was no fool to know that.

His eyes followed as two different blades were both drawn, and both crackling with power - the great Kusanagi with lightning chakra and the smaller Kutone with a vivid orange - which would collide and a great fight would begin.

~o~

"How do you like me now, Sasuke?"

The Kusanagi sword was thrown overhead into the trees, having been thrust upon and slammed by the Kutone, the power of two different chakras coming together to get it out of the hands of its owner.

Trading barbs? You got it, because she screamed at him that she resented him - and she half did - for doing what he did, and that she'd all but given up taking him back to Konoha; as well, she was finished craving for his approval in her improvement, because she got everything she needed - and because Itachi was more man than he ever was.

"Why the hell are you defending him, and why is he doing the same for you?" Sasuke shouted back after a heavy drive that nearly knocked Kutone out of her hands. Snarling, Naru countered back with a switch from normal mode to Sage Mode.

"We defend each other because you would never understand anything, like the gullible person you are. There's more to him than you know -"

"NARU!"

Itachi's bark made her stop talking altogether, but what she said struck Sasuke suspicious, yet he didn't ask further and only focused on kicking her butt like she focused on doing to his. _I think the other boys are thinking the same..._

 _ **Of course they are, runt.**_

Sasuke really was taken aback at her advancement using nature energy, and he got blows to his face as well as slashes to his body that weren't lethal, but enough to let him bleed a little and experience enough pain and shock that he never expected from her. So, in the end, Kutone won and had her opponent up in the trees, as previously mentioned. Now Naru stood over with her baby pointed at Sasuke's bared, sculpted chest shining with sweat - and bleeding a little from his minor wounds, while she barely had a scratch on herself, and her hair was just in way of her eyes.

Her attention fell to the Curse Mark which he had not activated once, maybe not needing it. Seeing that thing made her so sick she wanted to smash and crack the earth. If there was a way to remove that thing once and for all, by force if she had to...

"Well, honor the wish. You're coming with us, Sasuke," Itachi said coldly, striding up to stand beside her. He was curt and not congratulating her, which suddenly made her annoyed. _**Because you almost blew everything, Naru,**_ Kurama told her. He got her there, but Sasuke HAD to know...except there were also Kisame and Deidara who would have learned Itachi had _spied_ on them and the other Akatsuki, kept them at bay.

She was scared of them betraying him if they found that out.

Sasuke bared his teeth, hissing when he stood up, begrudgingly accepting his hated brother's hand to stand up. "Fine," was all he said, and then he looked up to where his sword had gone - and it was then that Naru sensed _others_ coming their way, jumping down from the trees. There they were, the three Deidara described: the redheaded girl with glasses, the big boy with auburn hair and a Curse Mark of his own, and finally the toothy one with the Executioner's Blade that was once Zabuza Momochi's. Sasuke's sword was in the hold of the flinching girl who shouted that it was heavier than she thought, and that earned sarcastic jabs from the white-haired, snag-toothed guy.

"See, you knew it was, but you had to get it for Sasuke anyway."

"Say that again, Suigetsu!" she snarled back at him, and it was cut off instantly by the big guy who seemed calmer and quieter than the rest.

"Karin, Suigetsu, we're not here to fight amongst each other. Sasuke, what now?"

Sasuke, team leader, regarded them all with just a blink and nothing more. "Juugo, Karin, Suigetsu - we have no choice but to change our plans, betray Danzo and side with my brother -" She heard the hateful spitting of the title in his voice. "- and the Akatsuki...and Naru Uzumaki, my old teammate."

Naru had no idea what to think or feel, but when he called her his old teammate, her guard slowly lowered, but not entirely. It seemed Itachi was doing the same. Both of them were pleased Sasuke agreed, but they weren't going to trust him that easily. _Would you do that, Kurama?_

The fox grunted and curled to lay down for now. _**No, of course not. I sense the darkness in his soul which won't be tempered by your light that easily.**_

~o~

"I honestly do not like this, Itachi," Deidara grumbled. They were all walking on ground now rather than in the air, because it was clear, but as soon as more Konoha Shinobi would be patrolling, they had to take flight immediately. "That brother of yours - he could go toe to toe with me to the point I set off my -"

"No, it will NOT come to that," the Uchiha interrupted harshly. _Not yet anyway. Not when we need you._

"I'd love to see one of your own bombs go off in your face."

 _Naru. You're finally doing it._

Deidara gawked at her in blinking disdain. "What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?!"

"It means," Naru growled, eyes flashing red around the corners, "that you ought to have a taste of your own medicine for what happened to Konohamaru." At the mention of the boy's name, Sasuke and his "friends" all stopped their walk ahead - being in front so the Akatsuki could keep a good eye on them and make sure nothing fancy was plotted - and turned to listen to the exchange that was going to explode.

"Excuse me!" Deidara sputtered. "But if you forgot, Kisame and I had to get the hell out of there so you and your 'boyfriend' didn't miss your backup. What were we supposed to do? Not like they would let US go alive anyway!"

"Because it's just like you anyway," she snapped. "I lost someone who was like a real brother to me, taught him enough of what I was taught, and he's gone not only because that bastard Danzo sent him out, but because you hardly even flinched when you learned who he was - and what's worse is you didn't shed a sympathetic shred when I thought I was in another nightmare!" By this time, she was cringing visibly and trying not to shed more tears, which was something she never cared to learn.

"You care more about your 'art' than you do people. Everything and anything you blow up, you don't care if a life-form is there or not. And spare me the shit that this is the way the world is, because I HATE it all for the way it is!"

She turned her back on the three Akatsuki men and stalked ahead, standing close to Sasuke's stunned group - except his brother barely lifted a brow - and shouted at everyone to get moving before she lost her temper more than she had.

Naru didn't look at them again or even said a word. If any man was wise, including Deidara, they wouldn't try to talk to her in her seething state. Women were a lot meaner than most men gave them credit for.

Kisame grumbled. "Ah, women is all I am gonna say, Itachi," he said so that the livid woman didn't hear. "She really wears her emotions on her sleeve. I wonder if she is gonna learn a real Shinobi never does that."

"Because she's nothing like us in that direction," Itachi stated. "I can't get her to change who she is if I wanted to." _Because she's even more stubborn than my brother. She won't change herself and her ideals unless she says so. But she knows how to sway others...most of the time._

Seeing her a distance away from his brother's group made him scowl, especially when Sasuke glanced her way, turning his face only halfway, but she paid him no mind. This Kisame also noticed and sniggered. "Would you be surprised, eh?" he asked. "I bet he doesn't hate her as much as he let on. After all, didn't he consider her a...best friend? The one YOU told him to kill so he could -" Itachi silenced him harshly and quietly before Sasuke could hear.

"Enough of that. I loathe myself for telling him that, because of _her_."

 _Because she is fresh air I never thought I would breathe._

Though the breath of air he took now was suffocating his lungs when he saw Sasuke drift away from his group to be beside Naru, because he _finally_ decided to try to talk to her on his own terms. Now the elder Uchiha couldn't help but chuckle in his throat, silently wishing his brother luck while the girl was in her foul mood.

~o~

 _Oh, Kurama, please help me not kill him here and now._

 _ **Don't get your undergarments in a twist, runt.**_

"Naru?"

"Why are you talking to me?" she snapped, not in the mood. _And why would you bother speaking since you tried to kill me?_ "You heard what I said, so don't even bother giving your side."

He didn't even allow a grimace to show, not that she cared to see. "I wasn't going to say anything like that," he said. "But I have questions to ask you -" Oh, that was what he wanted, was it? Just questions? Naru held her guard up, knowing that he wanted to know what Itachi prevented her from saying.

"Nothing that you deserve, and even if I wanted to tell you, why should I trust you? I was so stupid to think I could call you a brother. Konohamaru was more than you ever would have been, now that I see it all," she stated coldly.

"You honestly hate me that much? What happened to saying you would 'break every bone' in my body if that was what it took?" he asked. "You really gave up on me a long time ago, and did imprisonment make you see that?"

Frustrated, she shook her head once, refusing to look at him and just kept walking. "No. I thought of giving up on you as soon as I heard you got hold of the Sound Village. I wasted all my time chasing after someone who only insulted me, refused to see me as an equal or even encourage me. Konohamaru was my rival like you were, but we acknowledged each other and helped each other get better." Now she jerked her eyes up, glaring at him savagely, and now there was a hint of emotion in his eyes: shock, just like the time he saw Nine-Tails chakra consume her at the Final Valley.

"I lost Pervy Sage, now Konohamaru, and who knows who else. Happy that I get what it's like to lose someone I had a bond with? I even have friends, but who do YOU have? A bunch of old test subjects of Orochimaru's to do whatever you want."

 _Because why else did he pick those three?_

And there was something else: that redhead with the glasses - Naru sensed that there was a chakra pattern so eerily similar to her own, and that same shade of tomato hair which her mother Kushina had...

Sasuke said nothing, but she knew he was absorbing everything she said, and his face grew darker and darker. Behind them, both his team and the Akatsuki could hear their conversation the louder her own voice got. Part of her _wanted_ them to hear.

"And besides, Sasuke, you think after everything, I'd turn my back on my word. Danzo took more than Konoha - OUR village. He's taken the people I love and would die for, and made our home into a shell of its former self. I was forced to watch from my cell in the mouth of his face in the mountain how the people were pitted against each other - especially our fellow Shinobi, divided. Innocents were dying, too, and I wasn't able to lift a finger...until your brother got me out to help."

And at that moment, Sasuke halted in his steps at the same time she did, and behind them, both their sides did the same, all eagerly anticipating what his response would be.

There was nothing but an empathetic air, for the most part, but those on Sasuke's team had no idea how to process all of this. _They must not know what it's like to be in my shoes._

Naru observed Sasuke closely, holding her breath and ready to explode if he said something she hated, like he'd done since their days at the Academy - but then he surprised her once again: "You finally understand what it's like to lose ties." _The best you can say, as always, you jerk._ His gaze adverted for a second, the lids closing momentarily.

"I couldn't care less about the Leaf Village...but I'll help you get it back."

~o~

Naru and Sasuke exchanging words again - but now it ended with his brother agreeing to help her, pleased she finally understood the pain of loss, even if he didn't share her goals.

Sasuke's "friends" watched on, the one with the Curse Mark called Juugo being more sorrowful in the face even if he didn't understand, while Suigetsu just glanced with a form of apathy and Karin was torn between irritation - such as defending the team leader she was obviously infatuated with, based on the dilation of her pupils - and sadness because Sasuke had a friend who never gave up on him but was making him see she wasn't breaking apart.

Itachi shook his head. He chose to speak up now. "Keep moving. Karin, you can sense chakra presences, so is anyone around at the moment?" _From the chakra I am assessing as well as the red hair, you must be of the Uzumaki clan, which means you and Naru must be cousins somehow._

"Oh! Um...no. There are no Shinobi at the moment after us -" She stopped instantly. "However, there are two strong ones maybe a mile away. One is very weak but rife with enough left...except they don't have much time left. The other is warm and level, but it's fluctuating like uncontrollable anxiety. It means that one is dying and the other is being by their side."

Naru's eyes bulged; Itachi could see it without being beside her, since it was a common reaction to expect. Then her eyes highlighted on the outside with orange and the minus sign in the pupil, switching on Sage Mode to see who the people were - and her response was harried.

"It's Shizune...and Granny Tsunade."

She bolted forward then and there, but not before saying it was safe to go there, and Itachi and Sasuke followed while the others trailed not far behind. He thought her so foolish to act on impulse like this, though he, too, assessed the lost and now found former Godaime Hokage was the one on the deathbed.

The great group came across what looked like a small medical center. He remembered this place: run by an old woman and her grandson who was the same age as Naru and Sasuke, it was not affiliated directly with Konoha except being on the receiving end of medical supplies. It seemed only fitting that Tsunade and her aide would escape their village and come here.

"Alright, before we go in, we decide who stays out and keeps watch on any Shinobi and sensor types coming in this way," Itachi said to all of them, and the answer was decided in no time.

He, Naru, Sasuke and Karin would all go together, since the redheaded girl had experience which involved being bitten on any part of her body so that the seriously injured would heal, given the near-extinct Uzumaki clan had more chakra than anyone. He suspected Tsunade could refuse, but there was no telling.

He knew the old woman a long time ago, and though she was aware of his "crimes", she didn't treat him as a monster, and her grandson believed otherwise but tolerated his presence for all their sakes.

"Itachi!" Maiko exclaimed when she saw him come in, a broad smile on her wizened and kind face. "It's nice to see you back, and I see you brought friends. I take it you're here to see poor, dear Tsunade." Her face fell then and there. "She is in the back. And don't worry about Ryota; I sent him out, so he will not trouble you for now."

And that was one less trouble to worry about. Now they were all in the room where Tsunade Senju was located, and the sight the group was greeted with caused Naru to cry out, "Granny!"

"Naru!" There was Shizune, sad and smiling at the same time, her eyes shining. Tonton the pig was napping in her lap, but now she was waking up and oinking happily. "Oh, thank God you're alive! And Itachi, you're here!" But when she saw Sasuke and Karin, her eyes narrowed.

"Sasuke, you really have some nerve being here."

Itachi held his hand up. "Never mind, he won't be a bother as long as I am here, Shizune." He found himself looking upon the poor face of the woman who had no strength left to put on her youthful, buxom henge. Her bright hair was now dull and white, stringy even. Her forehead was sagging as her cheeks were hollow, and her lips sinking into her mouth. She took a few steady breaths here and there.

Her frail eyelids were closed in a deep sleep, but then they opened up and looked upon the group. "Itachi...Naru," she rasped, forcing a feeble smile on them. She managed to raise a hand, bony and the skin thinly stretched, fingernails still sharp and red, to extend to them. The _Jinchuuriki_ who was something like a granddaughter to her rushed over and took it, hysterically breathing and put the palm to her cheek.

"Oh, God, Granny, I knew you weren't dead. I have so much to tell you, if only there was more time! Danzo locked me up into his mountain face, he branded Sasuke because he had the right when Sasuke wasn't like that snake, and then Itachi and the Akatsuki got me out..."

She went on to explain that Gaara and his Suna forces were going to help them get Konoha back, and then brought up the Kutone Blade which she now had on her back and mastered with help. All of this made Tsunade smile and not say a word - but then came the topic of Konohamaru Sarutobi's death, accidental by Akasuki's hand and Danzo's fault for sending him out.

"Damn bastard, son of a -" She paused to cough a few times, and Shizune acted instantly, holding Tonton in one arm and reaching for the glass of water that was still on the bedside table. Tsunade took it with her free hand and downed it all until there was nothing left. She cleared her throat and laid back down, sighing with relaxation, then turned darkened amber eyes back to Naru. "I knew you would make it, Naru. I'm very proud of you." Her fragile hand squeezed the smaller but stronger one in her grasp.

Naru swallowed down a hiccup. "T-thank you, Granny. But I'm...I'm sorry it's going to end like this. I wish I'd had found you sooner myself, and we -" She looked up at Itachi, eyes glazed. "- could have gotten you away sooner! Why did Jiraiya-sensei and Konohamaru have to go, and now _you_?!" She blubbered. "And where were you before now?"

"I was...in a safe place outside the village gates, secured by invisibility seals placed by loyal ANBU, and I was out of it all that time. When I finally came to..." Tsunade paused to take a few breaths, threatening to cough again but didn't. "...Shizune told me she heard of your escape. She even mentioned...you." She turned her eye on Sasuke, showing no trace of contempt, but suspicion. And then her gaze rested on him, Itachi.

"Itachi...you must tell him. Trust him with the truth. That's my last wish to you - and please, take care of Naru."

Sasuke finally spoke up, harsh and unrelenting. "No, Lady Tsunade, you shouldn't give up like this. Karin can heal you if you would let her!" _Well, well, you truly do care a little after all, do you?_

But the old woman scoffed and waved it off. "Never mind now. I would have said yes if circumstances were different. I did everything I could, and I know that our bet will come true," she said, returning to give Naru her attention. "Naru, you and Itachi stick together and take down Danzo, save our village. And bring his sorry self home once and for all." Her attempt at humor regarding Sasuke ended with another cough, but it was brief. And her last words were this, following telling Shizune that she was also proud of her, loved her like her own child, and to take care of herself, Tonton and everyone.

"Naru, I lost both my brother and the man I loved. Don't you dare lose him - if you find him - just like you lost Konohamaru and Sasuke before him."

Her eyes closed then, for one final time as the last breath left her throat, and Naru broke out into a wail which could belong to a wolf howling. She could have broken the glass windows and fractured these wooden walls.

Tsunade, former Fifth Hokage, granddaughter of the First, veteran medical _kunoichi_ \- and the last of the legendary Sannin - died in this hospital bed, surrounded by her aide and loyal ninja pig, a rogue who was actually a faithful Konoha Shinobi even now, and finally the one who long ago betted with her on becoming Hokage someday. With the one who truly abandoned them and his sensor teammate in the background and not being a part of the moment.

 _Rest in peace, Lady Tsunade._

Itachi felt his insides turn, finally letting Sasuke see his soft side which included a tear falling down his cheek, taking both the younger and Karin off-guard.

 _See the pain the one you called friend is suffering, Sasuke? See that I have the weak spot that you never saw? And look within yourself to actually feel sympathy for_ her _._

 **In bringing to life Naru vs Sasuke, I didn't want to drag it on like the anime/manga episodes. Better that and leaving more to the imagination than droning. And the moment when she called him gullible was inspired from "Join Me in Death" by Itaweasel-hime, a tragic love story for Itachi and Sakura. :'(**

 **Does it surprise anyone that Tsunade would appear at last only do die? :'( It was hard to write her death, but I also did so for "Woman of the Snow", the first in my Konoha Kaidan Trilogy.**

 **So, my grandmother was hospitalized, as I might have mentioned before, and therefore I'm slower with my work lately since she had her blood sugar so damned high the day after Thanksgiving.**

 **Anyhoo, review and please wipe your eyes if you have any tissues around. Just what I am doing now as we speak.**


	13. Honoring Tsunade, Lady Hokage

**Hard to believe Christmas is fast approaching, but I'm still excited despite everything happening! :D Better to be positive than dwell on the negative.**

Chapter Thirteen

Honoring Tsunade, Lady Hokage

She died in this hospital. She was free rather than remaining any longer trapped in the village that became a hellhole. And she had people who respected and loved her rather than being all alone. But to look upon the frail, lined face - her true age - made Naru sob and break apart harder than before. She began to count off those gone from her life now in this order.

Jiraiya-sensei.

Konohamaru.

Now Tsunade.

 _Who next?_

 _ **The numbers are just going to keep growing and growing.**_

Naru cried for a long time, leaning herself on Tsunade's body, head resting against her heart while Shizune was at the abdomen, spilling her own share of tears. Tonton whimpered and moved to curl into her dead mistress's side. She felt Itachi's warm hand rest on her shoulder as a small means of comfort. "She's gone off to a better place - to see her loved ones -" _Her younger brother and the man she loved, maybe her grandfather and others._ "- and she believes in us," Itachi told her gently, and she sensed him kneeling beside her, the ends of his cloak rustling.

"What was she talking about, Itachi?" Sasuke suddenly demanded. "What _truth?_ "

"Not now," the elder brother said coldly. "Your friend lost someone near and dear to her, so show respect and let her mourn."

She had no will to speak, but Shizune did. The raven lifted her head and scowled. "Itachi, you're taking him outside now and keeping him on a leash as you do what Lady Tsunade wants you to. If anyone can keep him in check, it's you," she stated, forcing a smirk to one side of her tear-stained face.

He rose again. "Very well then. I'll leave you both alone. And Karin, stay with them."

 _Granny wants him to do what he doesn't want_ me _to do. But what if Sasuke...?_

Naru didn't know what to say to the redhead who just watched them mourn the passing of the Fifth Hokage and mother figure to them both - until Karin broke the silence, hoarse and still restrained. "It's like when my mother was taken from me."

~o~

He had no choice but to follow Tsunade's wish, but if Sasuke did go the way he was envisioning - further down than he already was - then there was Naru. Because of what Itachi gave her that day...

He and Sasuke were alone for the first time. He made sure that no one else was in the vicinity, and if anyone was coming, surely Karin or Naru - or any of the men - would alert them. He just hoped Sasuke would hear him out, though he was positive that his brother would deny everything, prefer believing the lies that he was fed.

"Well, talk. What did the Hokage mean by 'the truth'?"

He sighed at the impatience. "It won't be easy to explain, but I never wanted you to know it, because it was for the best - just as it was best for you to live the way you do now and kill me in the end. What happened that night was what you saw, but you have no idea what was truly behind it. But no one can know this besides you, Naru and I, and Shizune since she knows. So had Tsunade. I...acted on orders to eliminate our parents and our clan," Itachi said, lowering his voice.

"O-orders?" Sasuke repeated after a long, heavy pause and a burst of the eyeballs as he NEVER expected this. He didn't know what. "What are you talking about?!"

"Exactly as I said. Our clan, led by our father, was intending to overthrow Leaf's leadership and take over the village. I was in between joining our clan and the Leaf, but you would never know any of this. Because you were just a child and had no part in this. I wanted to protect you from everything."

Sasuke's face was tight, though his eyes flashed red. He wasn't believing this, calling it all lies without saying it directly. Finally, he spat it all out. "You're lying again. Just like you masqueraded as the brother I thought was my everything. And that means you brainwashed Naru -"

Itachi interrupted him harshly.

"I did no such thing. I have no physical evidence to give you, and it's for the best that no one but you and I as well as the women know. If I were lying, why did Lady Fifth tell me to finally confide in you? Ask yourself why everyone has treated me with such respect." His brother hissed through his teeth. "Then silence your tongue and listen to me...or perhaps I ought to show you in a moment just like I showed Naru, to make things faster." And just like that, Itachi activated his memories to show his brother - and he meant everything.

When it was all over, Sasuke was bent over halfway, panting and gasping for air. "Itachi, you..."

"Now, do you see it? See how you were never able to read between the lines? Understand why I did all of it...for the village, but most of all for you."

A crystalline tear began to streak down a cheek, followed by another. His entire body was wracking as he tried not to sob...before Sasuke collapsed to his knees, wrapping his arms around himself. Just moments ago he was arrogant with his head high, and now look at him. Itachi felt himself twinge inside; seeing him like this made him think of the child he used to be.

 _I should comfort him, but he wouldn't allow me._

"I-Itachi..."

Sasuke raised his head and showed eyes that were clear and wet, but reddened from heavy tears, overwhelmed and having no idea what to do anymore: whether to stick to his revenge or just accept the facts and give up altogether to finally help save THEIR VILLAGE.

His voice was croaked. "You...were made to kill our parents and our kin, against the Third Hokage's wishes. I _hate_ Danzo more than the other elders." Which meant he knew of the deaths of the other two who were also involved. "You had to live like a criminal and became an Akatsuki, and I hated you...I still want to..."

Then the younger Uchiha reached and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, dropping it into his lap before rising up and standing with his eyes still closed, until they opened in a flash to show they were still red. Furious and more vengeful than before, though calm.

"I'm never going to forgive Danzo, so that's why I'll help you and Naru take him down. Just for my brother and my...friend."

And without a care that he was branded a rogue, too. That was what Itachi was pleased to hear...and the fact he started acknowledging him as his brother again, Naru as his friend, but it was still far from over.

~o~

"What are we going to do with her, Shizune? We can't just leave her here! She needs proper burial or at least cremation so that we can put her with the memorial," Naru said as they stood over the body with the sheet now covering its head. Tonton lay further down, curled into herself but struggling to sleep; seeing the piglet made Naru want to break down again.

"I know, and the second option sounds logical. But this center isn't able to get a crematorium of their own, and they would have by now if not for Danzo," Shizune said bitterly. _Damned funds limited because of him. Nothing but fighting and torn sides._

"Which means we have to burn the body ourselves," Karin said, uneasy without words and nervously looking at them with her suggestion.

And just who would have to do that job? It felt like a disrespect of the dead, though she'd heard people had done that before. "Itachi can probably do that with his jutsu," Naru said, remembering the Fireball which was essential to the Uchiha. And he wouldn't have any trouble doing something that was hard for him.

The elderly doctor, Maiko, came in, and when she saw the covered corpse of her patient, her face fell. "Oh, dear, I should have been here. You should have called for me," she scolded.

"She didn't want to be saved," Karin snapped. "We offered her in different forms. But now they want to take her and have her burned to ashes before they leave." Then she turned her red attention back to Tsunade's form. "Question out of the blue: was the Godaime always a _granny_?"

Shizune snapped. "No, she wasn't always! She kept that young appearance of hers until she sacrificed herself for the village, fell into a coma and ended up here. You don't even know anything about her."

"Yeah, Granny Tsunade deserves better respect," Naru agreed, narrowing her eyes at the redhead. "Better respect than Sasuke thinks he deserves." _Even though he agreed to help us, but he needs to really earn it before I consider not hating him anymore._

Karin huffed at them both but said nothing, and Maiko broke it up. "Well, if you girls are done bantering, perhaps Itachi can vouch, or his brother, with that fiery spell of theirs," she offered. "If only we had a damned incinerator if not for that damned Rokudaime." She spat Danzo's title with such venom that it made Naru Uzumaki's day. At least another someone might be happy to see him gone.

But here was good news: the old woman had a good, solid vase to put the ashes in for the journey. When she brought it to their attentions, she presented the most beautiful thing Naru had ever seen, and it was embossed with goldwork, accents of teal blue, green and purple, and painted with iris flowers. _**That's splendid for a Hokage tribute,**_ Kurama said when he read her thoughts.

And would go among the memorial of the other Hokage before her.

"Karin, why don't you go tell the boys what happened and we stay in here?" Naru suggested. "And sense if anyone is coming yet?"

"Right." The redhead gave a curt nod and left them both be.

Naru thought about doing her end, because she wasn't lazy anymore, though she wanted to give that girl a chance since her chakra was so much like hers. She was a sensor, and was two better than one?

She turned on Sage Mode and got it in case Karin was not doing it right away - and just like that, there were two life-forms a hundred yards away coming from the northeast. _**They're two of Danzo's best dogs. Better to retreat now and find another place to perform the cremation.**_

~o~

Two of Danzo's best, of course that was who they were. But they were going to lose them if Itachi Uchiha had anything to say about it.

Now wasn't a good time to cremate Tsunade's body, so now they were all in the air and going for the Akatsuki headquarters. He, Naru and Kisame were on one of Deidara's clay birds while the owner himself was with Shizune and Tonton on another, leaving Sasuke and his team on their own. Now they were in distant skies where no one would catch on from below.

He and Naru were the ones holding the dead woman until they got to the rocky mountains crossing with rivers below on a lush landscape. From afar it looked abandoned and with no residents nearby, but this was near the place where the old hideout had been before Sasori was killed by Sakura Haruno, Naru and Sasuke's pink-haired teammate he learned was now the strongest medical ninja after her master. And it was here where her master would be given a private but proper service, beneath the depths of the mountain.

Past the bone gates and arches, the unlikely group built a pyre to accommodate the woman, and Itachi set the blaze with Sasuke's help. He then returned to Naru's side and took her hand into his, hiding it behind the heavy build of his cloak, though Sasuke still noticed as he returned to join his team.

"Tsunade was not only the granddaughter of the very first Hokage, nor was she the first woman to ascend that seat, but she was one of the strongest warriors and healers in our history. Just like all of us, she lost comrades, friends and loved ones, but she persevered like we did. She gave her life and survived once again - only to lose the will to live the way she did...because of one man. But we are not stopping there," Itachi said strongly, heart swelling when he looked down especially into Naru's bright eyes and then into Shizune's to his left.

"Her death is not going to be in vain as long as we are still standing. We all come from different backgrounds and situations, but nothing is breaking that...bond even if we try to."

 _Just as Konohamaru Sarutobi's and anyone else's won't be in vain._

The word "bond" struck everyone - especially Sasuke whose taut shell was cracked by his elder brother's words alone - making Naru smile bright as the flames licked against the remains of the Godaime Hokage, engulfing her and taking her physically into the next world where her spirit had gone to her loved ones and friends who had been waiting for her.

 **Itachi really has the habit of making it quicker to show people his memories rather than speak with his own mouth. Well, not everyone can keep it fresh when he talks himself. And it can dry out after awhile.**

 **Review in lots o detail. :'D**


	14. Love Exists: Naru and Itachi

**Countdown less than a week to Christmas! :D**

 **This chapter's title as well as certain moments come from the song "Love Exists" by Amy Lee.**

Chapter Fourteen

Love Exists: Naru and Itachi

The flames died, leaving behind nothing but blackened wood and ashes. That left the job for someone to collect them for the jar that was in Naru's other hand. But before the burning was finished, there were each person's words save for a few who didn't know Tsunade well.

"She was a hell of a woman," Shizune said after a sniffle. "She was the only family I had. She taught me everything." Tonton the pig oinked in agreement.

Naru grimaced for a moment before she forced herself to be stoic. "Granny Tsunade was a grouchy old bat when I first met her, and we betted I could be Hokage which was also the dream of two of her lost loved ones. I'm continuing my dream for us both - and everyone else counting on us."

Kisame wasn't the kind of man to be like the girls were in terms of their emotions, but the somber displayed on his blue face was as genuine as it could get, and Deidara's glances back and forth and then at the burning remains caused his face to twist as if struggling to keep a straight face. _Most likely recalling his "mistake" and what she said to him._

"I didn't know her well, but she was everything you said she was, big brother," Sasuke said. "That's all I have to say." Which was better than nothing. Though his teammates said not a word.

So the fires were done with their work, leaving him and Sasuke to pick up the ashes themselves while Kisame and Deidara were charged with taking care of the grieving women, and left Sasuke's trio to join them. He could only hope there would be no clashes because of differences in these walls.

When the ashes were in their rightful place, both their hands dirtied and would do well to wash by the nearby spring outside, the brothers found themselves alone, but Itachi was holding the urn carrying what was left of a great woman. The silence between them was strained, and he did not know how to start small talk since Sasuke was the one doing most of the avoiding - until the younger broke it first.

"Where is she going to be kept?" _Small, awkward words first._ "There's going to be plenty of explosions, so there's a chance she might end up being blown apart, and her ashes flying about."

"Yes, you are right," Itachi agreed, drying his hands on his cloak and then knelt down to pick up the urn.

Sasuke was looking at him now, no trace of hostility, and the elder knew why. _He's starting to accept the facts. But even I still can't tell what you are thinking._ "I'm going to talk to Naru," he said, and he was turning away when his brother called to him.

If his younger sibling was going to try to comfort Naru in a way he knew best, then he had to be wary of how to word it carefully, so Itachi warned him to NEVER say anything to upset her.

"I am not going to. I saw everything, so I want to try to make things right between us again."

~o~

Three days passed, but everything that happened was eventful if quiet. By quiet, she meant that there was no sign of Danzo or his Root anytime soon. That gave her and the gang, after Tsunade's cremation - her urn kept safeguarded within these walls so that she and Shizune wouldn't have to spend their time always watching over it - time to start to interact more, learn to handle each other, and other things.

There was Kisame showing Suigetsu how to be a real master swordsman, and Juugo getting his Curse Mark rages under control even without Sasuke's help. It was then that Naru found herself getting to know Karin more, even finding out her lineage.

 _She's an Uzumaki...like me. Distant cousins._

 _ **Doesn't surprise me. I suspected as much.**_

 _Why didn't you say so before then, Kurama?_ she challenged, getting a huff.

 _ **Well, you never know, brat.**_

Well, anyway, she and her mother were from the Hidden Grass Village - or rather, they _refuged_ there, and her mother was a kind and caring woman who healed wounded from the village under the watchful eye of a horrible man...until one day she died after giving away way too much chakra, which was left up to Karin from then on against her wishes.

Naru flinched in and out at the thought of someone biting onto your body just to have more chakra to heal the inside and outside of another. _That's...despicable! Screw that it's the way of the world! What about chakra donation like hospitals donate blood?!_

And then, when she had a part in the Chuunin Exams five years ago, she was there when she was tasked with finding both scrolls - and then she was attacked by a huge bear before being saved by _Sasuke_. But despite that, she and her team failed to get the Heaven and Earth Scrolls.

Sometime later, she ended up staying in another village for her failure, and that was when she sensed attackers who did just that to her "home"; it just so happened that _Orochimaru_ was among and discovered her when she survived. Having nowhere to go and recognizing her potential, he took her under his wing...but she still continued to be a human buffet for chakra donation to the injured. The Snake Sannin and Kabuto also continued to study the way her body worked so that replications could be made; she even got to be involved with experiments involving Juugo, Suigetsu and even Kimimaro. Luckily, she'd been placed in charge of the Southern and eventually Eastern Hideouts.

By the time Sasuke defeated Orochimaru, he had the test subjects released from their cells, and others who were immensely suffering had to be treated before consideration to return back to their families if they had any left.

 _More and more every day having terrible lives like me, Haku, Sasuke, Itachi, Neji...Deidara..._

She stopped there at the thought of the clay bomber. The one who hadn't meant to kill Konohamaru but didn't so much as flinch when he even _thought_ of a life being lost. So Naru spent her time avoiding him, not wanting to explode again because she was out of control around him over the littlest things. And this Sasuke noted but simply raised an eyebrow over.

The places to sleep were spacious, and since it was consisting of caverns, it wasn't a surprise that there were limited resources for a proper guest room, though it had to do. She and Shizune ended up sharing a space together, and Tonton was the first to go to sleep right away since animals always were worn out first and took a couple days or so recuperate from the changes.

As for Shizune - she had her work cut out for her not only with healing the men and with Karin's help, she also had the men hitting on her, from Kisame and Suigetsu's end. Naru did NOT want to hear half the things that were spoken about her somewhat big sister figure.

"But Deidara," Shizune said, a little sparkle in her eyes, "there is something about him. I mean, he goes on and on about his 'art', but someone should get him to open his eyes up. He even talked to me about how...heartbroken and explosive you were." _And you know what he hinted._

So, in other words, Deidara was a coward to talk to HER about this, but he talked to _Shizune?_ What the hell does that mean?!

 _Or does it mean that he really does see someone to talk to instead of all of us?_

 _ **Perhaps, but it's too much of a conclusion to jump to,**_ Kurama replied, and he was totally right.

"What did he say?" Naru asked when they were enjoying a good fish that was caught and roasted over fire, just the two women together now, and the pig enjoying flaky meat of her own. She oinked with appreciation, then going to curl at Shizune's feet.

"He lost a sister when he was much younger. They were both from a clan which possessed the Explosion Release, though Deidara wasn't born with the use of clay," the raven explained, a faraway look coming over her eyes. "He was extremely close to her, protected her like a big brother would, but when she was taken from him by an enemy within his own village, revenge consumed him which resulted in taking a forbidden jutsu to finally hunt down the one who did it. He had been an apprentice of the Sandaime Tsuchikage, and the old man's granddaughter was in a way the sister he lost, though it wasn't really HER. So, I understood what it was like to have someone new to fill the void, except it never goes away..."

 _Deidara...you lost someone, too. It wasn't just being misunderstood for your abilities. I see why you hardly open up to anyone. And after you used that forbidden jutsu to create what you have now, you were branded. You got your revenge, but it took you off the correct path like it did to Sasuke. That's where you and he are similar..._

Naru was more confused than ever, but after what he did to Gaara, she had forgiven him by a small amount. Could she even do the same now?

 _ **Runt, look deeper into her eyes.**_

She saw it: the sparkle behind the mist at the understanding of the pain of losing someone close to you. And the way Shizune spoke was no different than the time she told a younger Naru about her mistress losing Dan and Nawaki...

Was she...falling for Deidara so soon because of an understanding?

 _No, it might not be. But if it is, then it shouldn't happen so soon. Those two ought to know each other first._

This was also an opportunity to ask the older girl about something important, regarding a topic that Sakura once misunderstood. "Shizune, what is...love?"

~o~

The Akatsuki grounds had more isolation than anything around for the training sessions between its members.

They all knew how strong each other was, but it was also means to keep each other going and not have a moment's peace during the day, though you shouldn't push yourself either. Itachi set that grounds when he took the Akatsuki head seat, but sometimes he wondered if he was too soft which was what Kisame sometimes teased him about... _just like Shisui._

And besides these last three days, he saw some people bonding with each other, jabs between Kisame and Suigetsu mostly, and then he caught on that there was something between Deidara and Shizune, but he didn't eavesdrop. What they talked about was their business, and if the bomber knew his leader unintentionally invaded his personal space, he would lash out for the "invasion of privacy".

It was around this time that Sasuke happened across his brother one night, on the third day of being here at headquarters, while Itachi was atop the entrance of bones and looking upon the quarter moon. _To gaze upon the moon which is a gentle protector above the darkness we live in...it purifies enough of the soul if not everything._

"I talked to her."

Itachi had his eyes closed in deep meditation, having clearing his thoughts but finding them troubled mostly regarding her, and this time not the battle that was ahead. It was another battle altogether that he had no idea if they should approach despite the clear attraction by the invisible thread. What had come from nowhere and in the least expected of places, which he never would have dreamed of after Izumi, though they had never been more than just dear friends. Blossomed like a wildflower that wasn't by human hands.

She plagued his dreams at night, chasing away the memories of the horrors of war, of his clan's demise and the dirty deeds he did in the Black Ops, overlapping rather than extinguishing the nightmares of his past life.

 _But if only the past could be erased forever, thrown to the darkness where it should be._

"She's...I don't feel ready admitting it to her or anyone except you, brother. But I wish I could have consoled her better than I have. I forgot what it was like to assure someone, or be assured myself." There was a distant look in his eyes; the elder brother could see it even when the younger lowered his eyes to the ground. "I know I hate seeing her like that, and you know how to comfort better than me. I know that hasn't changed."

Sasuke still thought of her as a friend despite everything, but didn't know how to be a true good friend when the other was in distress. He thought he could shoulder everything alone even now, as well.

"Well, Sasuke, perhaps you should start learning how to," he stated, standing up and jumping down from the good if not great height to stand a perfect five feet away from his brother. "When a friend is in distress like Naru, even if you don't understand, simply telling them everything will be alright - even if you know it isn't - will do so much. But since you know as much what it's like about loss and solitude, you should already know but are holding it in. That is nothing to be ashamed of."

As expected, the younger Uchiha said nothing, but his eyes said it all: _you can't expect me to do what you're better at than me._ Sighing, Itachi resigned and chose to leave him at that, but he knew Sasuke would learn his lesson eventually.

Night fell. He was out here alone, much deserving of it, and he was certain that there could be no disturbances after he sought her out.

The air was fresh and cool, and the river water was the only music available. Crickets could be heard far in the distance. Barriers were around the location so that no one would sense a presence, but any sensors inside would detect when you were Naru Uzumaki and Karin.

It didn't surprise him that she was using Sage Mode to check the perimeters again; she worked too hard again. But it appeared she was done, for she was getting up and leaving, but when she saw him there, she had known he was there all the time. And for the period, he watched her from behind, taking in how her hair was always so untamed, like she was, and bright even as darkness fell. Had she'd been in the Black Ops on missions, enemies would spot her no matter camouflaging herself - because of her hair alone.

He didn't see her joining the dark side of the Leaf Village, because she was too good for that kind of tainting.

"I know what you're going to say," she started, but he held his hand up.

"I'm not here to tell you that you're overdoing it again, but rest assured, this mountain is protected by undetectable barriers. I came here because...well, after everything, you deserve something that I seldom received from others, except Sasuke when we were children," Itachi said, approaching her carefully as she stood straighter, and he paused right in front of her, keeping one foot away.

She frowned when she saw this. "Why do you insist on staying so far away?"

"You call one foot far?"

"It's too far for me," she stated. "You do this with everyone except in battle. Sasuke I understand, but why do you do this with me especially?"

 _You know why._

Naru looked away from him, right at the raging waters which were only calm at this time of night. "I hate that things have to be so hard. Can't we just come out and say it already? Say that there is something there that can't be explained with words but is obvious enough?" she said, agitated. "And why does it always have to have us frustrated?"

He thought to himself that it was more her than him, but that would make her feel worse. She had no idea he was just as much as she, and he was finished dancing around. "I wish it were otherwise. I came here to put an end to that, starting with this." And so he crossed the barrier, sealing it with a kiss that froze her where she was, and he took her right into his arms, wrapping them around her waist, but hers were out on either side in shock until they came to rest on both his cloaked shoulders.

Heartbeat to heartbeat was the silent declaration without speaking.

Darkness instantly blared with light from its core, ignited by this kiss alone...binding him to her and her to him.

When they broke apart, lips were swollen, cheeks flushed but their hearts were moreso ablaze. _I've NEVER felt like this before._

"Oh, God, Shizune was right," Naru gasped, looking at him with vivid eyes filled with stars. He wouldn't be surprised if she was literally blinded.

He chuckled, having a hint as to what she was referring to. "What precisely did she say?"

"That _love_ makes no real sense, drowns you and sets you on fire at the same time...but it's also without reason and conquers all fears."

 _All true the same in the sense it molds you into a far better person, changes you and drives you to do what you never imagined you would...but if only it were as simple as asking for nothing in return._ "Is this what you've wanted?" Itachi asked, not releasing her until she answered, and after a few breaths as well as still-flushed skin, she answered.

"I never even looked for falling in love, but I was deprived of it much of my life. I think I want more than just friends and familial love...the kind Sakura misunderstood for Sasuke, and I understand what it really is even though I never had it before," Naru answered. "Just like you must have had for...her."

He knew who she meant by "her". He looked down at the small barrier between their bodies, but it wound up landing on her endearing chest curves accentuated by the exposed fishnet. "I didn't...love Izumi the way you believed. I cared about her as a dear friend, but I knew her side was so much more. I didn't know how to lower my guard after everything that I've seen, which was more than she could handle. She had to be left away from the darkness I lived in, like Sasuke...but I couldn't even protect two people at once."

"But can you do it...for me?" she asked, biting her lower lip, and the sight as well as the color darkening to the shade of a rose made his blood boil.

"We'll go somewhere more...private for that," he husked, picking her up into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist, and he took her to a farther away place that was close enough to the mountain and within the barrier's protection.

~o~

 _We're going to finally do it._

She had to say she was nervous and excited at the same time.

His hand was resting on her thigh, bending it at the knee, as he lay her down in the grass behind a collection of shrubs, and his cloak all but discarded to be safely hidden. She reached up and pulled that headband from his forehead and then the tie from his hair, letting the rich midnight locks fall over either shoulder to release his wild side...and she found she liked this new side of Itachi Uchiha that she'd never seen before.

He deepened the kiss right after taking off her headband as well, so that tonight they were not associated with anyone other than each other. Naru moaned when he moved down to her neck, suckling where a major vein throbbed. "I-tachi, make me yours."

She wanted only him and no one else, because as far as she was concerned, if she could never have him in the end, then there would be no one at all. She would have her friends and that was all that mattered, and if Sasuke returned home to be with them again, she would settle for that.

Itachi growled at the words, making her body vibrate with pleasure, but said nothing as he began to divest her from the waist down, dragging her trousers, tool pack and underwear down her legs, the gooseflesh rising on her exposed self, and stopping where her sandals were. All were gone in no time. Naru sat up to unzip her orange vest the rest of the way down, shoving it behind her and then yanking the fishnet above her head, breasts bouncing before his eyes, nipples shocked by the night air and his eyes which blazed to the cores.

But then his eyes traveled south to her trimmed hips and thighs, resting on the wild, dark triangle covering her V-shape, which started to twitch on the insides from his stare alone. She quickly closed her legs together, suddenly feeling a little shy. He frowned, brows forming a straight line, standing up then and starting to remove his clothing to join her. She watched, transfixed by the sight, feeling her throat go dry and her mouth getting wetter and wetter at each part of his beautiful body that was revealed, from his powerful upper muscles she'd seen before to everything else below his waist, namely the large, mushroom-headed thing between his legs which was framed with dark curls. That was what men looked like, but Temari said size varied.

But she also looked upon the black swirl on his forearm, marking him as former captain of the Black Ops. Naked and vulnerable just like she was, long hair swaying in the breeze - she drew her knees up to her chest, however - and holding himself together as he let someone else see him for the first time, and maybe be touched the way he would.

She knew what he was feeling.

Standing up, Naru walked up to him, resting her head against his chest to feel his heartbeat, listening as its pace quickened upon contact. "Naru," he murmured into her hair. "My breath of fresh air."

She'd breathed new life into his without trying too hard. He didn't deserve someone like her, not after all he did with his hands on orders or not, but she wanted to prove him wrong. Because for all she suffered, she deserved him as much. And for that, she said the very words.

"I love you, Itachi."

He stiffened, and that was enough. Lifting her head from his chest, Naru looked up at him and made things a bit rough without leaving bruises and broken bones, and that was pushing him off his feet, onto his back which was where more grass was. He had no idea yet how to say those words, but while it felt good for her to say them, she had yet to get used to this kind of thing despite learning what she did from Shizune.

 _When girls fall in love, is it always really true love? Can their feelings change as time goes on?_

Shelve that for another time and just enjoy the present.

Itachi harshly gasped for breath as he didn't expect what she did, but their coupling intensified as their bodies and their groins rubbed together for more, wishing to take that final step that made them one. She could hardly wait herself. Naru gasped when she felt herself touch him _right there_ , and it was like two deities dancing together, alone and unafraid. They were free to be each other, with their comrades nowhere in sight...for now.

Kurama was asleep, or pretending to and was just enjoying the show for his own pleasure.

When he slid between her legs, the insides of her womanhood were highly sensitive on new levels because of him. She felt her heart jump against her breastbone and the interior of her pelvis erupt with a small pain, telling her that her virginity was taken - _by him._ The pain was gone in moments when his hips thrusted up to meet hers. She began to utter moans at the magical feeling that made her feel so alive and happy, and looking down, she saw that he wasn't restraining his emotions at being sheathed inside her, linked with her and proud to have her.

His black hair was spread around his head like a halo, his muscles flexing and gleaming in the light of the fireflies that had come out to dance and play with their mating ritual.

"When this is over, I'm going to pull out at the last minute," he rasped, arm wrapped around her waist and dragging her body down with him, their pace increasing rapidly. "While the thought of having a child with you is surreal, it's not an opportune time."

Tears burned Naru's cheeks at both his words and his touches, the grass caressing their skins and waving as their bodies occasionally switched positions: her atop him then switching to lay on one side to face each other, eventually with him atop her and assuming the position. Naru choked on her cries as Itachi passionately made love to her, sometimes bowing his head to kiss her lips and then her breasts, suckling the painfully hard tips and telling her she tasted exquisite.

 _This is the happiest night of my life._

 **In brainstorming Deidara's backstory, besides not being understood, I thought there could be something more than that, such as a great loss that he had to bury himself into his art to avoid another bond and the pain of loss. It makes sense much of the time for people who lost someone they loved that they seek something else to alleviate the suffering, but it never goes away. (And no, the unnamed sister isn't the Third Tsuchikage's granddaughter Kurotsuchi)**

 **And bloody hell, the deed done between Itachi and Naru. :3 Now that it's done, REVIEW! Totally deserving.**


	15. The Bravehearts

**"The Plague" and "Allure of Darkness" were finally completed in time for the New Year. If I'm lucky, I MAY finish this story by next week. Hope everyone had a happy holidays! :3**

Chapter Fifteen

The Bravehearts

 _Four days and no good news at all._

Nothing that would help him, at least. But what he received back from his summons was enough to send him into a calm rampage that involved knocking over everything on his desk in a single swipe. "Damn you, you insignificant brat! I never should have thought to include you in this. I should have had you executed when I had the chance."

But no matter: if he saw that boy's face with the others, then he would get what they all would.

The message stated that Sasuke Uchiha had double-crossed him and joined forces with the Akatsuki AND Naru Uzumaki who was clearly siding with them, though this was not confirmed concretely. There was nothing about their locations at the present. He had never been more ready to kill someone himself. It just went to show how much of a traitor that Nine-Tails brat was as much as her former teammate was.

 _Just goes to show all these brats are loyal to each other no matter what we place them against._

The Chuunin Exams were coming in less than two weeks now; time was running out. If Itachi, Naru, Sasuke and the Akatsuki were not exterminated by then, he was more vulnerable than he was now. He fought long and hard to get this seat, only to learn that these people would never accept someone like him.

Sai and his lover were still imprisoned, but he was certain the _Jinchuuriki_ was still coming for them. That meant Fuu and Torune still had their work cut out for them until the Exams would come, and after the execution of one of his former subordinates and that girl of Inoichi's; speaking of which, her father came to him, on his knees, and pleaded with him to release his daughter, but Danzo was stern in his decision. These had been his exact words:

"She no doubtedly knows where Naru Uzumaki is, as does Sai, but neither will divulge, so according to protocol, they will be held until they speak, and if not, then perhaps I can have you make a most difficult decision which is extracting the information from both their minds."

Inoichi's eyes widened with horror and protested using the method he conjoined with Ibiki Morino on his own child and her lover, to which Danzo scrutinized him. "Don't pretend I don't know your clan's opposition, but imagine what I could do with you and your people that you could never comprehend if you don't do what you must for the sake of the village we both love," the Hokage said coldly, and that was it.

A couple days later, he got what he wanted - or some of it.

Ino had no idea where Naru was, for Sai told her nothing; as for the boy, his mind was a powerful network that betrayed nothing except the fact that Naru and the Akatsuki were heading to the base, wherever it was. That left what Torune and Fuu would have to bring in to him.

Unfortunately, they lost the group and did not find them yet, though they did uncover something peculiar and interesting: the trail, caught by Torune's clan insects, was left and depicted the remnants of strong presences, as well as the intel gathered that _Tsunade_ had been there and died recently, that assistant of hers present, and everything tied into Danzo's mind in a heartbeat.

 _Ah, so Itachi and Naru, you were with the soft-hearted Tsunade until the end. But no body left behind for burial, so you have it with. What have you done now, given her proper services rather than bring her back here?_

If the two found nothing, he had no choice but to pull them out and back to this village since there were more important matters.

~o~

He awoke into her arms after a night of bottled up, unleashed fervor that made him wonder why they hadn't done this before - with each other or anyone else, and he refused to think about Shinobi duty this time.

The sun hadn't yet risen since they fell asleep where they had lain after consummating their love. _Love..._

To have that word repeat in his subconscious was surreal and yet so fulfilling. He looked upon the sky which was slowly lighting to dark gray, to silver and faintly light blue. His skin felt so warm despite the cool temperatures of pre-dawn. It was kept at lukewarm because of the body spooned into him, her head on his strong chest and one arm wrapped around his waist.

 _And so the kitsune girl in the arms of the clan killer._

But she made it clear he was no monster, and last night proved it as the final nail to the coffin. Otherwise, they would not be here right now. He could still feel the drying sensation of her essence between his legs from however many times they did this during the night. Eventually, as the hours grew late and the temperatures dropped, he had to pull his cloak over them so that neither of them froze to death. And she didn't even feel like going back, which would no doubt increase questions amid the others - especially Shizune. It was like Naru to not care. Or should he say that she, for once, didn't care about anything but what she wanted for herself...such as the embrace with him after having a real taste that life offered that didn't involve glory and recognition.

Itachi continued to gaze up at the skies as he relished this newfound part of himself. They said that you were considered a full man or woman afterwards, but that wasn't it. Now that he and her were something akin to soul mates - that was a strong word and large step to take - he wondered about what would happen after they retook their home. If his name wasn't cleared, it meant that they had to endure a long-distance relationship with no hopes of putting down roots, or it would just be a much longer time in the making to find a way without letting Konoha descend as he feared.

She would just say to not worry about right now, to just enjoy right now, and that was what he was doing. So he settled on caressing her soft cheeks, tracing the whiskers and smiling as she did. _I've never felt so content...only she does this to me._

But then he noticed that someone was coming, and it was no one unwanted except someone who finally returned days later. That meant he had to leave her where she was and kept his cloak over her to keep her warm. She moaned in her sleep at the loss of contact, then buried herself deeper into the fabric of red clouds. Itachi continued to watch her, still smiling, as he went to gather his clothes and redress so that he would go to meet with Zetsu. He left hers folded neatly by her side in case she awoke to find she was alone. His hair was loose from the night before, not that he cared for a change; the ghost of her fingers woving through the strands lingered in the memory of his nerves.

"Zetsu, about time." He stood before the Venus flytrap which materialized from the earth and then opened to show right side black and left white, representing yin and yang.

"Hey, you know better than that!" **"To cut to the chase, those two underdogs of Danzo have been taken care of."**

Itachi nodded. So those two he was spared eliminating himself, he asked of their current states, and the answer was typical Zetsu on both sides: **"Yeah, after we got what we had from the Sound Village, we decided to keep tabs on anyone following you; we found them and took care of them,"** Black Zetsu answered proudly, only for White Zetsu to hoot, "And all the good chakra to take in from two of the greatest clans!"

"And who exactly were they?"

 **"One Aburame and the other Yamanaka. Neither saw us coming. They were no doubt too close to finding out you were all with the Kazekage."** "And one hell of a double-course meal it was afterwards!" But the Uchiha wasn't fazed by the cannibalistic act that ended with no trace after the job was done.

 _I remember them. Danzo, look at who else you've lost. What will you do now?_ "And what of Sasuke's residence and his followers?" Itachi asked, and what he was given stunned him and proved his fears unfounded.

What Zetsu discovered was sensational in itself: unlike Orochimaru, his brother chose to have the research purposes for simply amending any issues with families and their bloodlines, others who suffered from the Snake Sannin's grotesque sessions were being treated - some died unfortunately, and others survived to be released and return to their lives - and in the end, Sasuke had a small army of those who wanted a second chance; he let them do whatever they wanted as long as they did not dare to go behind his back as well as completed what tasks he gave them. _No different than us._

He would just say that these people the snake experimented on were dangerous, but if Juugo, Suigetsu and especially Karin were anything to go by, he'd have to say that his little brother was relatable to them in some ways. The problem was, in Konoha, he was a dangerous criminal that was on the death wish list as far as Danzo was concerned.

"Thank you, Zetsu. You can go inside and retire if you wish."

He should have known that the plant hybrid wouldn't spare him a notice of the sleeping girl not too far away who hadn't yet roused from her stupor. And of course it was like White Zetsu to open his wagging tongue. "Ah, woo-hoo, you finally hit it, Itachi!" He was scolded by Black Zetsu. **"Hold your damned tongue, will you?!"**

"Precisely what I was thinking," Itachi hissed, turning his eyes onto red, "or you'll get what's coming."

"Well, I say congrats, you lucky weasel!" And with that, the flytrap closed onto the pair and sank into the earth to go inside, not before he was threatened with Amaterasu if he so much as loosened that tongue of his to the others about his and Naru's relationship.

At the same time, he heard her yawn, which told him she was finally waking up, and he had to get her back into the cave so that he could tell her - and before anyone else noticed they were missing.

~o~

 _I NEVER thought I would hurt a little down there. But damn, I was bleeding!_

 _ **Only a little, runt. Not like you'll die from it. At least I was here to heal that for you.**_

And she awoke before dawn broke, so that she could see that she was still in Itachi's arms, but when she came to, there he was beside her, but he was completely dressed up. Despite his tender gaze and caresses, she wanted to know why he left her in his cloak and her folded up garments near her, then sat beside her and waited for her to wake up.

"I didn't want to disturb you. You look so sweet and peaceful."

Naru laughed, sitting up and pulling the cloak close to herself, scooting up to lean into him, and one arm wrapped around her waist; they stayed that way for a few moments. His body was so warm that she didn't pay attention to the pre-dawn temperatures that caused the gooseflesh to rise. Itachi's warm skin and strong arms were all she needed, and she would have fallen back to sleep, face buried into his long, ravishing hair, if he hadn't told her they had to get back inside because Shizune would likely know she was missing if she hadn't already.

 _Damn it - shit, Shizune._ Her stream of obscenity made Kurama chortle. _Oh, shut up._

But by the time she was dressed up and walking back towards one of the smaller, unnoticeable entrances - unnoticeable and unquestionable to passerbys' eyes, those who weren't ninja - she had to ask him about the future for them.

"I've been asking myself the same. I thought that it could just be put on the shelf because I never imagined that it would come to this. But it's never something to control anymore than the wildflowers can flourish. Naru, I wish we could completely say it will work out in the long-term run."

She knew why and didn't have to repeat it, though she wanted it as much as he did. And if they couldn't prove he was innocent, what else was there? _**Naru, I think you know that answer without even gaining physical proof.**_

 _Who -?_ Then she stopped herself. _Oh, Ibiki Morino._

And that meant everything in Itachi's memories will be uncovered for the world. The only way for that to happen was once things were settled down in Konoha again. And that way she and her new man could be together, too. "I know how we might, in case we can't get anything solid from the ANBU records or anywhere else," she said quietly, in case they could be heard. He looked at her inquisitively, and when she said the name, he only nodded as if he wasn't surprised. "Oh, Itachi!"

She put her arms around his shoulders, leaning up to kiss him on the lips again. How could she have gotten a man without being like Sakura and the other girls, after all she suffered - and how had he gotten her of all people after all he suffered, too?

"You don't regret last night?" She shook her head vigorously. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing to regret. He smiled. "Let's go inside," he breathed, and they went separately. When she arrived at where she and Shizune shared a space, the raven and the pig together were still sound asleep, and she could use a little bit more until the other woke...and when she did, some time later, her body was renewed again with energy, and she was taken aback by the _song._

 _The world is grey, the mountains old_

 _The forge's fire is ashen-cold_

 _No harp is wrung, no drum falls_

 _The darkness dwells in these halls_

 _The shadow lies upon her tomb_

 _In Kawa, in Konoha_

 _But still the sunken stars recur_

 _In the dark and windless shelter_

 _There lies her ash in hand-held art_

 _Til reawakens the braveheart_

 _I've never heard Shizune sing before, Kurama._

 _ **Just as you never heard Temari, but that's because there is still enough you don't know about them.**_

 _What is she singing about? I know it's a lament, but is it for Granny?_

 _ **Precisely.**_

 _It's so beautiful._ Naru felt a corner prick with a tear. She had been laying on her side, listening and pretending to be asleep, and when it was over, Shizune spoke to her. "You can stop pretending to sleep, Naru." And she was laughing a little, too.

Grunting, Naru rolled over onto her back and sat up to stretch. "Singing for Grandma Tsunade?"

"It was originally a lament for all Hokage who passed on, starting with her grandfather," Shizune answered. "This time it's her turn, so I put 'her' instead of 'his', and takes place here in River, then back to Leaf. That is, if the past Hokage's monuments don't get reduced to rubble," she finished bitterly, and then came the question Naru expected but also felt embarrassed and nervous to discuss.

"What about you? When did you get back from being with...Itachi? Doesn't surprise me that you spent the night with him, but I'm wondering about after business is settled."

 _ **Knew she would figure it out, runt. Hope you know how to respond.**_

"Well...yeah, I was with him last night," Naru answered, feeling her cheeks heat a little. "I have no idea how to describe it, but it was the most amazing thing I ever had...and with him, too. He even said so. He was so gentle and loving. It was all as you said it was."

All of this brought an awkward smile to the older girl's face, before it was onward to the serious part. "If things are going to work out, then I hope you know what you're in for. Might be more sorrow than happiness, so you have to make the best of it." _Really, we talk about it yesterday and I don't even feel the support I wanted!_

"It wasn't like either of us ever planned this," Naru countered, suddenly agitated. "And it wasn't even easy to get him to lower his guard after everything he's been through. It wasn't even easy for me to do the same with him, either."

Shizune slid back a little, face on the defensive. "Okay, okay, I was just making sure. You know I look out for you," she said, before slipping back to a smile. "Though I am happy it finally happened. If you two marry at all, I'm gonna be by your side, and Tonton will carry the ring!" She held up two fingers with one hand and then ran along the still-sleeping pig's back with the other.

Marriage? Her and Itachi? _That_ she would spend her time thinking about, but only after her goals were accomplished. "Did he ever say he loved you back?" Naru felt her face fall, and she lowered her eyes.

"He didn't even say the words back," she answered.

"He's probably just not used to it, and neither are you," Shizune pointed out, and she was right. "But what do you plan to do when you two go separate ways after this - if it comes to that?"

Naru lifted her gaze back to meet the other's. "Stay single because I'm his and no other's, and I won't be alone because I have all my friends - and that includes you and Sasuke, if he does finally come back."

 _But what if he doesn't? Because he runs a village now which had once been Orochimaru's - and he is creating a place where people have a second chance._

~o~

Here they were right here: Naru, Sasuke, Shizune and himself. Best Konoha Shinobi - or rather, two of them still full-fledged and the other two rogues in the Bingo Book. They were not many miles away from the border of Fire Country, but not enough for ANBU Root to detect for their Hokage, and it was here they were going to meet with the man himself and the day before their first strike which had finally arrived.

When Kakashi Hatake sent his own coded message to Itachi, the Uchiha could hardly believe it when the Copy Ninja told him inside that he'd suspected there had been more about him all along, that their own would never resort to genocide unless it was on orders - and how could a thirteen-year-old child, no matter how brilliant he was, do it all by himself?

And there the man was, standing before them after jumping down from overhead. "All on time - Naru!" His single eye, the other covered by cloth, lit up when he saw her, and she rushed over without a care to throw her arms around him, so ecstatic and happy without boundaries. It made Itachi allow a small smile to form, because her happiness gave him pleasure, too. "Well, well, good to know one of my best students hasn't given up yet."

"Not on my own life, Kakashi-sensei!" she answered, looking up at him and lifting her chin. "I'm here to keep all my promises with all your help!"

He chuckled and reached to ruffle her hair, and that made her wince and swat his hands away. The touching moment reached someplace in Itachi's core, lasting for a few moments before he had to clear his throat. It wasn't long before the attention was back to him, and Hatake - the man he tortured with Tsukuyomi for three days in its time - acknowledged him respectfully. "Everything is all ready, Itachi. We have many ANBU and Jounin to arrange the evacuation of the civilians once the bomb is dropped," the man explained, keeping the details as minimalistic as possible, and he would eventually learn why, for Kakashi called for his two companions to come out - and when Naru and Shizune saw them, they rushed over.

 _Neji Hyuuga, no doubt - and Sakura Haruno._

And now leaving the three men to each other and lay out the known plans. "Sasuke. What's your part in this?" Kakashi asked of his old student who abandoned them and tried to kill his own teammates, clearly wary of him now. Sasuke lifted his nose.

"I couldn't care less, but I'm doing this for Naru. Then I'll help her and Itachi finish off Danzo, because not only did he lock her up, not only did he have my brother backed into a corner, he also branded ME."

~o~

So the men were discussing the works, and that left her and Shizune, Tonton beside her and on the ground, as they were reunited with two people near and dear. Two people Naru had not seen since her imprisonment.

"SAKURA! NEJI!"

By the looks of Neji, he was part of the Black Ops now, but he wasn't in the mask or his uniform she remembered being typical of ANBU. Long chocolate hair remained tied, though lower than Itachi's. He looked the same as she remembered, though there seemed to be a harsher air about him despite his much kinder face, totally unlike the emo kid from the Chuunin Exams years ago. He really had grown into a man. _And has so much to tell us._

Sakura definitely had more noticeable changes. Her garb was the same as the Hyuuga's: navy blue with a dark green flak jacket. Her rosy hair grew long enough to reach the middle of her back, in a low ponytail, bangs framing her face. But here was what made the major difference, besides the darker shade in her emerald eyes from seeing so much change: the violet-colored marking that Granny Tsunade once had, except the old lady's was blue.

 _ **The Strength of a Hundred Seal - so the miniature sucker has finally done it, eh?**_

"My God, Sakura, you really did it!" Naru exclaimed, also in response to Kurama. "Both of you!"

"Oh, yeah, we did," the pinkette answered. "It was filled up four months ago, but I haven't used it." She was referring to those reserves which were in order for the seal to work. And if her memory was right, you could only regenerate yourself with new cells only a FEW number of times in your life, otherwise you were gone before your time.

Sakura's attention shifted past the blonde's shoulder, face taut. "What does Sasuke get out of this?" That bite made Naru twinge a little; it sounded unlike Sakura, but on second thought, it seemed like she had done what the Uzumaki never thought she'd do: _she's over him. But does she HATE him?_

Kurama grunted. _**Not sure, but yeah, you are right on target when she is finished with his sorry self.**_

That meant Sakura Haruno wasn't the silly girl with equally silly dreams all based on a boy who didn't even care for her anymore; she was a woman who no longer relied on men or even the other girl whom she once thought competition for the one they both tried to bring back home. She wasn't the one who only cried and trembled in shock; she had fixed herself when Naru wasn't looking.

"The Akatsuki didn't hurt you, I see," Neji noted. "I would have went head on with both Uchiha if they did." He scowled viciously at Sasuke, who met his gaze once before calmly returning it back to his brother and Kakashi. "Just so you know - and Shikamaru would agree if he were here - I don't trust Sasuke in the slightest, except his brother."

Naru nodded, having expected that. And hinted was that he somehow found out about the Uchiha massacre's real facts, but did that mean the archives had it, or did Kakashi confide in him? "Well, I'm glad you're both here," Naru told them both, putting a hand on Sakura's right shoulder, the other on Neji's left, and then brought them both in for a group hug. It was so nice to hear Neji laugh a little as he was not used to this kind of thing, while Sakura voiced her joy that they got this again.

"However -" Now Neji was grim. "- there have been more terrible things happening than you know. Which of us are divided -"

She interrupted him. "I know: everyone against that old creep, except your clan. Except he's kept them all from rebelling on pain of death," she spat, and what he added could have caused all the trees around them to fall like an earthquake.

"Yes, but you haven't heard what is among the worst," he said, sour now. "It's Lady Hinata...she's dead."

 **So, the second verse of "Song of Durin" is what Shizune's song really is, though where you see changes from the original is what I tweaked. :'D**

 **Now we get down to the real business, but ending here with yet another major shocker: Hinata added to the list of Naru's dead friends. :'( Another major dilemma I had when brainstorming Konohamaru's. What happened to her will be revealed in the next chapter.**

 **Reviews appreciated as always. Lots o detail, too!**


	16. Operation in Play!

**I wanted to say this to TheBeauty without harshly talking back: I realize the "hate" on Sasuke because you just now brought it up, but it's not TRUE hate. It's more like wariness, because Sasuke betrayed them all and hurt them before for no reason, whereas their opinions of Itachi changed as soon as they discovered the truth behind the massacre. Per canon, his revenge quest in Itachi's name is like a slap back to everything his brother did for both him AND their village.**

 **It's been awhile since I've seen that with my own eyes, but it certainly is obvious that Neji and Sasuke would have some kind of hostility towards each other, right? No matter what. Given their families have also long since been rivals, too.**

 **Personally for me, it's hard for me to let that anger and frustration go, so it must show in my writing whether it was intentional or not. :(**

Chapter Sixteen

Operation in Play!

 _Hinata...no, oh, God, she can't be..._

 _ **I'm afraid so.**_

Hinata was dead. She could never stop repeating that enough in her brain that she lost awareness of what was happening around her - and she found herself in Neji's arms, looking up at him with a horrible feeling in her heart. "Naru!" was all he could get out.

"Naru, please, hold on," Shizune exclaimed softly, helping him stand her back up, her legs wobbling.

The actions brought the attention of Kakashi-sensei and the Uchiha brothers, and she was surrounded. The words Neji told her slipped out without hesitation, and Kakashi was grim as he affirmed, then explained further what exactly happened. All the while, Shizune picked up poor Tonton who wiggled her nose and oinked occasionally with each monstrous detail that was exposed.

"It happened so many months ago, but after Danzo was made official. She was given a choice to stick with her friends - in support for you - or she would suffer the consequences. And of course, her father asked her the same thing, for the sake of their clan, but her answer was to both him and the Hokage: she would rather die than betray you, Naru, and the others. A week later, it was done behind closed doors."

 _ **She was executed because her ideals were a threat to the Sixth Hokage's brand of order,**_ Kurama growled, his voice causing the bars of his cage to rattle, mirroring what was going on exactly in his hostess.

 _One of my greatest friends was sacrificed for her clan's security, what else is there?! I wonder if her father is gonna be able to live with himself after this!_ "What happened to her exactly? What did they do?" Naru demanded, looking up at Neji, and he lowered his eyes.

"I was ordered to have it done, whether I was abhorred or not. The method was that she have her eyes removed, but prior she was tied down and blindfolded as well as placed with seals so to prevent her from fighting...but another ANBU member under my command had to finish it all off by breaking her neck."

Her world felt like it was spinning. Now another to add to her personal loss list: _Jiraiya...Konohamaru...Tsunade...now Hinata._

She had all but given in to the whirlwind she was feeling, her vision turning into a blur like it had on the day she found out that Sasuke had been given the death warrant. She fell into one of the Uchiha brothers' arms, but had no idea if it was the one she loved or the one who she still considered a friend.

~o~

No longer did it surprise him that the stress would get to Naru when she least expected it. And the Hyuuga captain filled him and Sasuke in that no more of their friends were dead, but everyone was waiting back home alive and well - whatever the definition was.

The day was still bright, but they paused for now, and building a barrier to shield their presences was in order. They were deep in the forest, ensuring no Black Ops were nearby, but Neji assessed it for all of them and swore to keep the post. And there was Sakura sitting beside Naru, who was also ignoring Sasuke who occasionally looked her way. This the elder Uchiha surmised while sometimes kneeling before the unconscious woman.

"How is she?" he asked the pink-haired woman, who shook her head and smirked a little, though it never reached her eyes.

"Oh, she's going to live...except she's going to be more than sore when she comes to," Sakura said quietly, a faraway look in her eyes. "I'm glad you're here. Except I was prepared to hate you if Neji and Kakashi didn't trust you, or Shizune..."

He nodded, having been prepared if she hadn't been told the details, between their small group only. "But never mind me, for the time being. I wish to know about yourself, Sakura Haruno. I'm impressed you've developed, up to the level of your master." His attention fell to the rhombus in the middle of her forehead. "Use of that jutsu yet, by any chance?"

She shook her head. "No, it was filled only months ago without usage. I can only generate it if it's necessary, or if we wind up in a real war which I hope never comes. As Lady Tsunade always said: you can break the first three rules in wartime only when you've mastered the art of Mitotic Regeneration," Sakura said with a tight smile and brows in a single line. _Now, Sasuke, if my memory serves correct: you saw her as a nuisance not worth your time._

And from what Naru said, the pinkette had persistently chased after his brother when they were still Genin, though seeing this fierce woman, he wasn't sure about now, unless she, too, was hardened as the Uzumaki was. "I'm impressed," Itachi said, "but what of my brother?"

As predicted, her face became taut. "What of him, after everything he did to us?" she asked icily.

"Yes, Sasuke tried to kill you and Naru, but he's not a true monster. He's simply misguided -" He lowered his voice. "- single-minded and forgot what it was truly like to love the way he did as a child, before what I did...but it seems he acknowledged his friendship again with Naru. I have no idea what is going on in his mind now at this moment, but he's been persuaded to help us," Itachi finished with a wry smile that mirrored hers.

"Let me guess: Naru got through to him."

"More or less with the help of her new friend." Which was none other than the Kutone Blade which lay harmlessly a couple feet away from its owner. Sakura admired it with a sparkle in her verdant irides. "That, my dear, is a blade of legend and can unlock its full power if wielded only by _Jinchuuriki._ Courtesy of your friend, the Kazekage." She smiled at the mention of Gaara. "You should see your friend with her improvement. She had Sasuke down for all it was worth, and his sword up in the trees."

"...amazing," she breathed with a sparkle of amazement in her eye - and perhaps a hint of envy not in a negative way. "She did what I fantasized doing to that brother of yours."

 _Wanted to do worse to him, eh?_ "So, you're no longer infatuated with him, I gather," Itachi stated, getting a huff and a throwback of long hair.

"I had feelings for someone who never showed me respect no matter what I did for him - _tried_ to do, in most cases. I see that he has a more handsome face, but that doesn't mean I have a reason to trust him. I had to learn everything the hard way: you have to look beneath the surface to see what he's really like...just like this one did with you," Sakura finished, looking down at Naru who was moaning a little and starting to come to.

Pleased as he was to hear this, Itachi was immensely troubled - _Sasuke, you should start making amends with these people, too, including this one who loved you once, if you ever decide to return on your own_ \- because of the seeming hatred the young pinkette as well as the Hyuuga had for his brother. If anything, he couldn't bear it since Sasuke didn't deserve it anymore than he himself did.

"In that case, my brother should start seeing what he missed, and it's up to you now, since Naru has done the job of shouldering the burden of the promise made."

She looked like she was pondering this, for her eyes turned off to the side momentarily, and finally, she said it softly, "Yeah, I know what to do." Then she frowned. "But what did he say to you?"

Itachi hummed. "Well, to keep a long story short, since he said nothing about you, he said this of Naru: since the death of your mistress, he's witnessed the grief in her and Shizune. But he refrained because he had no idea how to console either. He's all but forgotten what it was like, as I've said, because he can't enjoy anything in life without feeling pain, that much I know. I've been there at times. And he admits he hates seeing her the way she was, so perhaps there is a chance he'll do the same with you when chance comes." The tears were pouring down her cheeks which she reached to wipe off. "I told him he should start learning to be a friend like you and Naru tried to be."

"Except the friend thing I tried, then screamed my 'love' when he left the village. I couldn't even mount up to that," she said sourly. "But I know that if he does, then I'll give him all the cold shoulder so he knows what it's like."

Before he could respond to that, there was a murmur below them, and it had come from the blonde herself, but then a certain word slipped out of her mouth that he would have expected was her dead friend she was having nightmares about, but it was HIS name. And this made Sakura's cheeks turn pink enough to match her hair as she pieced it together.

"Oh, and I used to think we could compete for your brother. Now I'm jealous...she's got you, and I think you two deserve each other."

~o~

When she was sleeping, she was trapped in black oblivion, and she thought she would see Hinata's face. But somehow, it didn't come at all. Because when Sasuke left so long ago, she had nightmares for weeks about his face. Only with Hinata, she expected to see her face, especially because last time when she saw the Hyuuga put herself against Pain and died for _her..._

...but instead, she saw her and Itachi, in a surreal sequence of blissful coupling.

And when she opened her eyes, feeling like she'd come down, there was Sakura over her, and she was smirking to one corner of her mouth - _**oh, she heard you utter HIS name, runt. Be ready for her bombards.**_

"When did it start between you two?" Sakura asked. Naru sat up, stretching her bones by rolling the shoulders and popping the bones. "I didn't think you'd actually get lucky with an Uchiha - and him of all people." She was referring to Itachi, of course.

"I didn't even plan on it," Naru told her, looking over her shoulder to see him, his brother, Shizune, Kakashi and Neji gathered around a fire that was being built, and this would last until early dawn tomorrow, when they would finally get into the village to save Ino and Sai, but it had to be someone from inside that they trusted. "It just...happened. We understand each other, and he helped me get through everything, besides Gaara. Because of him, I realized that he was more man than Sasuke ever was, no matter that he did everything for his brother. I know Sasuke never knew anything, but Itachi should have just trusted him," she said, looking deeper at the picture which seemed like one thing happening: Itachi was staying beside his younger sibling as Sasuke was working to get Neji to see he wasn't a threat, and doing so with Kakashi had been easy. Shizune didn't seem too bothered any more than before.

Except Neji's taut features hinted that he had no reason to trust Sasuke no matter what, just to be safe. No hatred present, but still.

"...I see."

Sakura was looking at his direction, too, as if scrutinizing, and then she tore her eyes away when Sasuke sensed he was being watched. But Naru had to study him without staring...and did she detect a hint of _disappointment_ in his eyes when Sakura, the girl who chased after him when they were all Team Seven, refused to keep her eyes on him? "Did something happen between you while I was out of it?"

"You could say that," the pinkette answered. "I didn't even approach him, nor did he, but then we just ended up in each other's presence while I was laying you down - and he had to help. I tried not to look at him, but then he had to ask me how I was...and I think he really noticed I changed when his attention was on this." She tapped her forehead where the seal rested. "Guess he started to not be smart with me," Sakura said with a wink. "I was tempted to give him a good punch so he'd see that the weak girl with pink hair was more than ready to bust his balls. Or pick up that new toy of yours." She nodded towards the Kutone which was still laying beside her. _Too bad it won't be compatible with your chakra; otherwise, it's an ordinary sword._

"And then?" Naru asked.

"And then, he told me that he looked forward to seeing me in action when the real battle begins. And I told him I looked forward to seeing you bust his ass if it gets there, to which he answered that he had it done already. I decided not to say I would, because he'd tell me, no doubt, that I'm still so annoying."

"Do you hate him, then?"

"No, but I want him to know how I felt."

 _Oh, Sasuke, you're gonna get a real wake-up call._

Naru decided to change the topic. "I'm sorry you weren't there when Granny..." She didn't have it in her to finish, and that was when her old teammate's face fell.

"I know. I wish I was there, too. I wanted to go, but Shizune insisted I stay in the village to look after the others." Sakura then reached behind her to hold the ornate vase in both hands. "But at least I know she's entrusted the rest to us." And then her face twisted, the marking coming down to nearly touch the line both her brows formed.

"I look forward to seeing Danzo exposed for the real criminal he is. For not only putting two of our best friends away for protecting you - Ino was innocent, I just knew it! - and making Inoichi invade his own daughter's mind! And for so many other things, like covering his tracks and letting Itachi..."

 _And branding Sasuke. But no problem, right, Kurama?_

 _ **Not at all, runt. If only I could get out and finish him for all of you and get this over with.**_

Naru grinned and raised her hand, closing it into a fist, holding it out to Sakura who stared at it for a moment, before grinning back and doing the same; their fists both bumped together. Then the _Jinchuuriki_ had the most brilliant idea that she knew her friend deserved as much as she did.

"How about we both kick Sasuke's ass together for the fun of it once this is all over?"

~o~

The first part of the Chuunin Exams was over. No one killed anyone - yet - but there were also minor injuries.

He found himself dwelling on tomorrow which was the start of what was coming sooner than expected. The Yamanaka girl was released finally only yesterday back into her father's custody, and he made damned sure Inoichi would keep an eye on her until the day her lover would be executed. Danzo personally watched the release, took in the sight of the grim Inoichi as he led his daughter by the arm out of the jailhouse, refusing to so much as look at his Hokage in the eye as he took Ino away. That just left the boy who was still locked up back there; he was surprised that the girl didn't protest if she knew what was good for her.

You heard correct: he could no longer trust Sai, who still would not talk because of his friend the _Jinchuuriki_ \- and he had never been so disgusted and disappointed. At least this would serve as an example.

Unfortunately, the reverie didn't last. Not only did he not hear back from Torune and Fuu, but he also got the notice from the prison and jumped up, livid to his core: Sai had escaped from his cell - no, someone had broken him out, not before subduing the guards. He growled angrily through his teeth; who could have DONE this?!

But there was an idea at the back of his head: _Naru...you've finally come back, have you? I predicted as much. That means I shall see you and your band very soon._

Which meant extreme measures were to be taken if she and her friends were to be captured before the Chuunin Exams were over. They couldn't have picked a better time, he would give them that.

 **Hope the wait was worth it. I also picked up on a Kim Possible story which concludes a series, "Honeymoon in Cambodia". :)**

 **So, I was at a dilemma what to do about the first part of the Chuunin Exams, whether to change what it is in canon or not, given Danzo is Hokage. Maybe I'll reveal the entirety in the next chapter, if someone gives me a suggestion which would help.**

 **Reviews appreciated.**


	17. Danzo Cornered!

**So, pardon me for the long wait, because I restarted my computer and it LOST this entire chapter despite me saving it. (demon rage) But no matter since I had it copied to a friend to read before I could put this out, and the rest which I hadn't done yet had to be finished.**

 **Anyhoo, thirteenth chapter of "Vespertine" to thank for this, so here comes long-awaited action. :D**

Chapter Seventeen

Danzo Cornered!

It turned out Ino had been released when it was found she was innocent, but she was kept close to her father or another clan member at all times, and while that was a relief for Sakura, Itachi knew that it was devastating for her friend because she had to bear with her lover on the line for execution.

Suna was also present, in time for the second part of the Exams. The opportunity was presenting itself.

He and Naru as well as the company got the word as soon as Sai was brought to them outside the village barriers, thanks to Yamato's help. "Never did I think the day would come when I finally see a place that isn't with Danzo-sama," he said, then shifted his disbelieving attention to Itachi, still unable to believe what he had just heard, but he also had good news to report.

"It seems that all the clans except the Hyuuga are more than ready to revolt against the Hokage, after careful planning and secrecy. Everything has gone on long enough. They want it done before the Chuunin Exams come to an end, even if it means the remainder has to be postponed."

 _That means the Hyuuga are to be dealt with, and Neji will have to be against his own people because of what they made him do to Hinata, besides Danzo._

Behind them, there was Naru embracing Sai and telling him she was so happy he was alive, that Ino was safe, too - except being under watchful eyes from then on, but as far as the Uzumaki was concerned, it would end soon - and that made Sakura happy to know. Neji Hyuuga, Kakashi and Shizune were conversing with some other Shinobi who were present with their captain and swore allegiance.

As for Itachi himself, sans Kisame and Deidara who were waiting for his command - rather, his shadow clone with them, and another of himself with Gaara within the village - he was hidden in plain sight once more with his henge in place, as was his other clone with the Kazekage, once more assuming "Tashi" and therefore called such. But either way, both parties outside would get the message from here.

Sasuke and his team were not present, either, for now, but they also had another clone so they would also get the signal.

And meanwhile, Gaara was meeting with Danzo, and that meant the real Itachi would receive the notice if their plans would change, and then he would let the others know.

~o~

Night fell when he finally met with the one he needed, now that their villages joined for the Chuunin Exams. Very soon their trainees would face each other. "Lord Kazekage. Ah, it's a good opportunity to converse over a cup, if you wish." He gestured to the arrangement displayed at the table in the Hokage's office, having been suggested as means of a small link between "allies" while their subordinates had reign to interact - or clash, but they ought to show more discipline than that.

No doubt the Genin were doing what was considered immature, if you asked him. Children should learn discipline early or not, just like in his day.

The young man regarded him without a blink, so it was difficult to read him through. This child, a former Jinchuuriki who survived the Akatsuki onslaught, happened to be a friend of Naru Uzumaki's, but hadn't gone against his village's alliance with Danzo's. This the Hokage appreciated with every fiber of his being. That meant his position was assured with this one association. "Yes, I thank you," Gaara said when he sat down, smoothing the front of his garments as he accepted the placed cup of green tea which he inhaled delicately and hummed with appreciation. "But what concerns you, Lord Hokage?"

"Much," Danzo answered. "In regards to the missing Naru Uzumaki and the Akatsuki. I have reason to believe they could be coming this way soon, especially when one of my own was sprung past security during the previous night. He was sent out on my orders to see where she was taken, but he refused to divulge, so I had no choice but to keep him in custody until he talked, but he has likewise aided and abetted, so he should have faced proper punishment. Which is why I know that she and the Akatsuki are coming here, if she knew what became of the friend who was protecting her - or perhaps a handful of loyal Shinobi have betrayed me and this village to join with her. Hence the escape." _Leave out the Uchiha brat._

"...you think she is coming back here to overthrow you with all the help she can get, because she does not approve of your brand of order, as there are those who equally don't." That cup was held in both hands after a single sip and nothing else, the owner attentively listening, while behind him were his brother and sister, and a third who he had no idea was a "spy" in the ranks.

"Precisely." Danzo shook his head. "These young people today...choosing their friends over this village, or believing in ideals rather than law and order, what is in everyone's best interests. In the old days, they learned lessons the hard way."

Gaara put the cooling cup down on the table. "Lord Hokage, as likely as this is, is there any solid grounds that Naru is working with the Akatsuki?" he asked.

What a...stripling! Danzo Shimura had no idea how to come up with a rebuttal, because while the boy was on the mark, he had to invent another means. "Indeed, though two of my best subordinates never made it back. It is grounds that the Akatsuki had something to do with it in order to cover their tracks all this time. They had found that our _Jinchuuriki_ was taken towards your village, or perhaps to the enemy's headquarters. They have laid low until now." The Kazekage nodded, though he didn't seem entirely convinced because this was purely suspicion, and it irritated the Hokage to no end.

"I can offer assistance now that I am here, but here we are in midst of the Chuunin Exams. I'll have a handful of my own Shinobi play vigil with your own, if it shall put an ease on your conscience, should that be what you want," Gaara finally stated, forcing a smile and picking that cup back up to finish it all in a single, smooth gulp now that it was cooling down.

Now, Danzo could smirk back. His suspicions were unfounded, and he could rely on the Sand after all.

But what the Hokage could not know was that the Kazekage had no intentions of following through on his promise, because fortune did not favor the Rokudaime.

It was then and there that, after Lord Gaara and his trio left the office, the explosion was heard moments later, from miles outside the village. Danzo jumped from his seat behind the desk and rushed to his window to see the smoke and fading light beyond. He hissed; damn it, they were here.

"So, you've come, Naru - and Itachi. You've all come. I'm waiting for you."

 _While you face my subordinates before you come and find me - or I can have you all trapped like mice before you do._

~o~

Everything happened as they discussed.

 _Kakashi-sensei and the others are ready to get away the civilians if it gets worse._

 _Shizune and Sakura are going to heal any wounded._

 _Itachi, Neji and I are going to find and fight Danzo because he's not going to run anywhere._

 _But first: everyone has assumed the position, after Deidara has dropped the bomb several miles away from the village, enough to get attention to investigate. That means he and Kisame are going to distract them...but what if they end up KILLING any Leaf Shinobi?!_

What could she do about that if it happened? She had to do what she must, after all. Kutone on her back and ready to flaunt before that rat snake's eyes before she released its power; she had never been so excited and nervous, and with Itachi beside her as well as Neji, though the latter had to don his ANBU mask and join the ranks of his subordinates for the sake of his cover and his part.

Before she went with the elder Uchiha brother, she briefly shared the sight of the village with the younger. "This place is so much...different," Sasuke mused as he gazed without a blink upon the devastation, and at the patrolling ANBU above it all: the barricaded windows of homes and the smoke spots from old fights.

 _ **I could have ended all that suffering in a heartbeat compared to this.**_

 _You took the words out of my mouth,_ Naru thought through her teeth, but to Sasuke's words and not Kurama's, scowling so much the lines between her brows deepened. This was what she saw clearly if seeing the view from the Sixth Hokage's mountain wasn't bad enough.

Sakura was with them, too, on Sasuke's right while Naru was on his left. "Yeah, this isn't the home I love," she hissed. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and then to the other, surprising them both.

"I never thought I'd say this, but good luck to you both."

Naru could finally smile as they went their separate ways.

The brothers did their work simultaneously if separate from each other: the guards above ended up trapped in illusionary worlds, which gave them the advantage to make way for the Hokage Tower without trouble. "Leave me to deal with my people should they find out I'm involved," Neji told her and Itachi when they briefly met up. "Don't worry if you see our friends, Naru." _They have to be fighting now, at this moment._

And yes, the fighting was beginning: some Leaf and Sand-nin were out there investigating that mysterious explosion which drew them away, and others assisted with getting civilians out of here to the evacuation shelter. Metal clashed in the air as words were shouted like a bone-shattering mantra.

And it was then and there that she and Itachi found themselves meeting up with Shikamaru who by this time was partnered with Tenten and Lee. Boy, was she glad to see them! They didn't recognize Itachi because he was still wearing his disguise even now. But when they saw her, they dropped the subdued ANBU to the ground and called her name concurrently. She had never been so glad to see either of them.

"I'm so glad to see you, my friend!" Lee crowed. "Springtime is returning!" She had to laugh; same old Rock Lee, and they needed him. "And who is your friend?"

"Yeah, I like him already," Tenten said, eyes flashing along with her short sword.

"This is Tashi," she answered. "Someone I met in Sunagakure."

Shikamaru lazily grinned. "I knew it. Kakashi told us all to be ready since we all knew you'd do it." Then his attention fell to the big girl behind her back. "New surprise, right? That's what you're all for."

Naru grinned back. "You have no idea." Then she felt her face twist. "Where's that rat snake of a Hokage who had Hinata and Konohamaru killed?" she hissed, making all but Shikamaru flinch; he told her that the old man was up in his office, and there were the lights still on. Having an idea, Naru weaved the signs to create more than enough shadow clones, one staying here with her three friends, the rest scattering around the village - and that left her and "Tashi" to go into the tower where their hunted was waiting for them.

Scaling the wall? Done.

Finding a window to pry open and then put _genjutsu_ on any ANBU or fellow Shinobi - only when they tried to apprehend Naru herself? Also done.

Finally, she and Itachi were outside the double doors that led to the Hokage's office. With that, she drew Kutone from her back and released her normal chakra into its hollow but complex channels so she could jab it through the middle and break the doors apart so that she and Itachi were before the man they were looking for.

"Look who is here!" She couldn't resist giving the show with her weapon and the words that went out of her mouth, since it was her and the man she loved against this one - the one who led Itachi to his doom, and his enemy was standing here, ready to finish him off with her.

"Yes," Danzo replied, clearly bored and unimpressed, "I anticipated your arrival. I'm impressed you didn't choose to kill anyone on the way. I would have expected that part of you to change, Naru."

She spat. "I'm not like you - or should I add, I don't let others do dirty work to keep my record spotless? At least I'll have the pleasure tonight with you especially," she said. Itachi remained silent, glaring daggers from a calm face, and ready to drop his disguise anytime. _I look forward to seeing the old man's face when he sees his foe's true face._

 _ **I can't wait to see that, too, runt.**_

Danzo sneered with only his eyes. "I look forward to that, _Jinchuuriki._ Also, who is your comrade? Someone that the...Kazekage employed for you? So our allies betray us once more, and this time with you and your friend, the Uchiha brat." _**He figured it out; oh, well, he's surrounded, no matter.**_

Naru lifted her nose at him, smirking and not giving the old relic the benefit of the doubt. "That's right, Danzo. You're going to pay for everything you did, but mostly for what you did to those I love, if not directly: Konohamaru, Granny Tsunade, Hinata...but yeah, you're directly gonna be punished for keeping your hands clean about this man here."

When Itachi dropped his disguise, Danzo's eye was broad with unbridled horror, and the name left his lips in a harsh whisper.

~o~

"It's been a long time, Danzo."

"Indeed, but what will you accomplish now that you are here with the _Jinchuuriki,_ Itachi?"

His fingers itched to draw what he had beneath his cloak out against this man, and the threat of exposing him as he promised to the entire village was in play, if not for what he still had to do as Akatsuki leader which was still on the agenda. "Labeling Naru won't get you anywhere, for it shows how much you are unable to let go of old fears. I'm branded as a missing-nin because of you, but that will eventually change. I will have no qualms about killing you especially tonight, worry about the rest tomorrow. But before that happens, I'm going to reclaim what doesn't truly belong to you," he said icily.

 _Shisui's eye._

But Naru looked at him from the corner of her eye. "What are you talking about, what doesn't belong to him?"

"Something of the Uchiha he wrongfully stole, and you know what that is." It was then that her eyes widened with remembrance, and then her gaze turned hatefully back to Danzo who was reaching up for the bandages that covered the right side of his face.

"Oh, yeah. You got something of Shisui's you have no right to."

It was by this time that he revealed the eye: _a Sharingan_. "You know everything then, Uzumaki. I shall enjoy killing you and taking the Nine-Tails to put into someone more fitting for my interests. You really are too much like both your parents, after all: too compassionate, too loyal to individuals rather than a whole...and unlike them, you are a traitor for choosing treacherous Uchiha."

Itachi's strings were pulled then and there as hers were. No more talking. _Naru, help me fight him now._ He looked down at her with the message in his eyes, and she got it, for she looked up at him and then leaned up to give him a kiss on the lips which shocked the fraud of a Hokage who represented everything they stood against.

"With pleasure, baby."

 **I hope what you saw was satisfactory enough, and I really did try to not make it too similar to Itachi and Sakura vs. Danzo in the same chapter of the inspired story. But in the end, it was fitting that Shisui's eye had to be taken back, and a bit of dialogue similar.**

 **I noticed no one reviewed last time, so pretty please. The end is nearer in a few chapters. :( Don't wanna miss!**


	18. Kutone vs Izanagi!

**And I thought this story would be done in a week, but I was wrong. Tying loose ends as well as retaking a village from a big threat is a LOT of work. Big shoes to fill in.**

 **Today we watched Goosebumps 2, my aunt and I. :D The films for family and kids in general for today's standards get better and better with each sequel (in this case).**

 **As well: we finally enjoyed the 2018 Halloween, which was a worthy anniversary of the 1978 classic.**

Chapter Eighteen

Kutone vs. Izanagi!

Konohagakure ended up becoming under siege once again, with its Sand allies also against it - except it was fighting to help restore the true way of the Leaf, rather than with intent to take over.

The warfare eventually got back to the Hyuuga who leaped into action, but not the way the Allied Shinobi anticipated.

Outside the village barriers took place only Konoha ninja against Kisame Hoshigaki and Deidara who kept them busy only to end up killing a handful because they had to.

The entire Konoha Eleven - now that Hinata Hyuuga was gone and a certain rogue was "back" - participated in the melee as Sakura Haruno and Shizune led the Medical Corps into taking in wounded and dying.

Sasuke Uchiha and Team Hawk joined the hysteria, while the leader himself made way for the Hokage's Tower where his brother and former teammate were dealing with the man in darkness, eager to kill the one he blamed for Itachi's disgrace.

~o~

"...you two...unbelievable."

Danzo had seen his great enemy and Minato Namikaze's brat - the host of the Nine-Tails - engage in a brief but passionate lip-lock, and it disgusted him to no end. "This is love you're seeing, which is something you don't understand," Naru spat back, "and something we both deserve for all we endured."

"Love is a bond that is broken all too easily, and is for the weak."

Naru's temper flashed with Kurama's within. "You know nothing." The blade was joined by the fox's chakra. "No, love is stronger than you think it is. It's not just protecting them against everything and everyone, but it also gives you a reason to live. You feel you don't deserve it, but that's like pulling your own tail. It's a bond more powerful than the death threats in the world!"

Danzo ignored her philosophy altogether, though he obviously heard her right, and instead focused his keen eye on the blade which was ripe with both her chakra and the Nine-Tails'. "I recognize that, but it's been ages...the Kutone Blade. Last time I saw it with both eyes was when Lord Second held it in his hands."

 _ **Watch out, runt. You know that look in his eyes - or should I say, that ONE which does not belong to him?**_

 _I see it...he wants to get the blade. Well, he's gonna guess again!_

And so she lunged his way, with no intentions of letting it go easy as that. She would tear this entire office down if she had to. And for that, she avoided looking into his eye, though she could get out of _genjutsu_ now. And just like that, Danzo had a surprise waiting for her, which was a hidden tantō, and she had to scoff; was that really the best he could do?

Itachi stayed behind, watching the scene play out. Or saving the best part for last.

"The Nidaime Hokage should have had a tighter hold on that sword," Danzo told her when their blades screeched against each other; they had moved over the desk to the point of nearly hitting the window - and below, Sasuke had arrived only to pause and watch what was going on. "But it had to be lost after his death, only to be in the wrong hands after the wars. Had you been the perfect machine, I would have held you with higher regards than now."

 _Damn it, Kurama, he's really pushing me to cut his head off._

 _ **Not a bad idea,**_ he agreed, chortling, _**or perhaps something better: take that eye from his socket for your weasel back there. I see he's building up for the paralyzing part.**_

The Kutone was a hell of a match against an average sword, but it was all the old man had gotten. And as soon as she had his blade knocked out of hold, she made way for what she always planned to do, before she would make haste for that eye of his...

...and that was to drive the sword right into Danzo's heart. The look on his face was exactly as she dreamed, and it felt so good to kill this immature relic once and for all. She grinned from ear to ear, mirroring Kurama's, and behind her, she was sure Itachi was smiling slightly, before it was gone.

Something felt terribly _wrong_.

Then she had to look at old man Danzo's eye, and gasped when she saw the bloody red had turned to WHITE. "Itachi, what the hell is this?!" She'd never heard of the Uchiha's irises turning into that, but then again, she didn't know much about their power besides what was inflicted on her and the others.

"NARU, LOOK OUT!" Itachi bellowed when he recognized what it was.

Even Kurama saw it: _**Oh, damn it, Naru, it's the Izanagi!**_

 _What the hell is Izanagi?!_

 _ **A jutsu activated via the Sharingan...at the cost of the light in one eye. Blindness, in other words. The moments happen in a minute. This is perhaps far more forbidden and secretive than the Mangekyo. The user applies illusions to the senses of the target, without direct eye contact, turning fantasy into reality - but for the inflicted, it's all an illusion.**_

Oh, God, if that was the case, then that meant -!

And of course, just like that: Danzo appeared right behind her, his hot breath on her ear. That wound in his heart was gone as if it had never been there.

"You fight well, but that won't be enough for you, _Jinchuuriki_."

~o~

He saw it all, assessed the chakra, and that was when his attention fell to not only Danzo's "eye" which became white with the Uchiha's forbidden jutsu...but the _immense number_ in another place that he and others never would have expected. And he didn't even have the necessary chakra compatibility as the Uchiha, so that required another that hadn't been seen since Hashirama Senju's day.

 _Not only does he have Shisui's eye, but he has TEN OTHERS!_

Embedded in his right arm were none other than ten Sharingan from, no doubt, the dead Uchiha after the massacre, but because of the fact that Danzo's chakra wasn't compatible with any of them, he had to have had aid to give him what made him adaptable to make the power of the Uchiha work - _no doubt to use the Izanagi multiple times as he wants to_ \- and one person he could think of was Orochimaru, whom he knew had been in league with Danzo for many of his grotesque experiments, so Itachi was positive the Snake Sannin had plenty of the Shodaime's chakra to go around, especially since Yamato had once been his test subject.

His father...his mother...an uncle or another cousin...it didn't matter who it was. Either ten people with one eye each taken, or both eyes from five people - it didn't matter in the deepest pits of hell. This was a disgrace, no different than that snake: Danzo coveted the Uchiha clan's abilities out of revenge and personal advancement. He was an example that the dark past had to go once and for all. After this, he was going to destroy all of those eyes because there was no need for their power anymore - not a great power which would work only in a single instant; plus, Naru had the other she had yet to unleash.

However, there was the matter of his eyes and in case Sasuke ended up activating the terrible Mangekyo after all. It was always best to be prepared.

Naru needed his help, or so he thought when Danzo redrew his short blade from the confides of his clothing. That meant another Izanagi eye would be activated in no time, and from the Uchiha's assessment, there was a minute-long limit; this had never before been used since the blood-soaked time of Naka Uchiha. _A time when the Uchiha could not afford to lose the battle._

And here he and the woman of his affections could not afford to lose against the man they both hated. The man he had no reason to be polite to, much like many others, and who he had no reason to let live any longer. But if he could just chop off that arm -

A flash before his eyes, faster than his own Sharingan could have comprehended, made him gasp and withdraw by an inch. His lungs constricted at the sight which stirred his body in a manner which reminded him that he could finally enjoy the sight of the killing of a loathed rival for the first time - because of HER. He watched as Danzo's _right arm_ which entirely composed of the First Hokage's chakra, severed at the shoulder, fell to the office's floor, the eyelids wide opened and showing red with trio tomoe, and its owner uttered shouts of pain no matter years of near-death and limitless nightmares.

She roared over to him after another slash across Danzo's face as she took advantage of his briefly dazed moment. "GET HIM, ITACHI!"

This was his cue to stand over the fallen man, who looked up at him with pained horror in his single eye, the other having gone white beyond repair, and that was for Itachi to reclaim as planned. "You did well, Naru," he told her, gesturing her to stand down, and she did as she put her sword behind her back, letting her chakra return back into herself and returning the Kyuubi his. She nodded, tightly smiling.

Itachi returned his attention back to Danzo who was stricken as he looked up at the man he let be stained with blood so he could remain clean - at least on the outside. But the Uchiha knelt down, turning on the Tsukuyomi - _just this once_ \- at the risk of the pain in his veins, and took in the relic to suffer the worst kind of torture that he could never have comprehended in life.

 _Feel the pain of a thousand crows tearing the flesh off your bones._

And when it was over, he did just what he planned to do, and that was reach and take "his right eye" - Shisui's eye - and crushed it into a bloody mess between his fingers. The scream of Danzo Shimura, the faux Hokage, was music to his ears and to _hers._

It was by this time that a certain brother of his finally arrived in time to see what was left of the short-lived battle of repossession. Sasuke paused to take a few breaths from running, and he made eye contact with Naru who flashed him a grin, telling him she was glad to see him and for him to see what she and his brother did together that he regrettably missed.

But for Sasuke to gaze down at the man who ruined both their lives, as had another who was long since dead, it seemed invigorating to match.

~o~

The air reeked of smoke and blood.

Allied Shinobi from both Sand and Leaf had subdued the ones who supported Danzo, but it turned out the majority was based on fear rather than true loyalty, and those who still believed otherwise would face house arrest and imprisonment until they were willing to return this village to the way it used to be.

There was dead littering across the grounds, both ninja and civilian alike; the latter unwillingly and unwittingly got mixed up.

Danzo was dead, having ended up doing one thing that she and Itachi as well as Sasuke never anticipated and had to get out of the office as quickly as possible. _Kurama, he used a...!_

 _ **Yes, he used the Reverse Tetragram Sealing. He intended to take you three to the grave with him. He knew he was beaten, and thought to take you along with him as his final "victory". It's the opposite of the Double Tetragram Seal which you could use to draw me out if you wish.**_

And it was a damned good thing that they got out before it was finished, and afterwards, they were left with Danzo's corpse which still had the markings on the body. For her to look into Itachi's eyes as he, for the first time, relished the death of someone who deserved it - it made her worry, because that wasn't like him at all. But then he turned to smile down at her, assuring her he was fine, thanks to her alone...and the one who arrived when they had just finished their opponent off.

"Damn it, I missed the show," Sasuke spat, scowling at the corpse of their shared enemy. And he did the action of spitting on Danzo since he deserved it, no less.

Itachi chuckled as he was doing the honor of pulling out a scroll and performing the task of sealing the severed arm carrying the Sharingan stolen, and it was stored in no time in the soft blue-white light. Sasuke stared at it with loathing. "Brother, was that...?"

"Yes, Sasuke. Ten Sharingan in his arm, which was reconfigured to be composed of the First Hokage's cells, to enhance his compatibility with ours. Not only that, but he had Shisui's eye." He motioned to the right side of the corpse's face, and it made the younger Uchiha's scowl deepen.

"I wish I'd have killed him for you both." Then his attention shifted from the dead Rokudaime to the window where the firing and shouting had all but ceased, but the smoke and fading fires lingered in vision range. That ferocious flare in Sasuke's eyes didn't subside, not even when he added, "But he's gone now, so that means there is cleaning up to do with this place...this place which caused you both such pain."

Itachi narrowed his eyes as he saw exactly what she did, as well as knew the meaning behind those words. _That look...oh, God, do you see it?_ Naru asked the fox.

Kurama grunted and snarled at the same time. _**I sure as hell do, runt. Your Uchiha lover sees so, too. He's not messing around like that time...**_

And that meant Sasuke intended to destroy Konoha Village before it even finished rebuilding itself. Because - and he never dared to tell either of them himself - he believed the village just as responsible as Danzo was for what befell on her and Itachi. _No, there is no way in hell the people inside who knew NOTHING are as guilty as Danzo and those other two!_

 _ **But it looks like he thinks so. And after this, he is going to plan his own attack. Not alone with just those three, but many others under his thumb. He means real business, Naru.**_

Naru clenched her fists; not on her watch it would happen!

 **It's been hard for sure to write the moment between Itachi, Naru and Danzo. A good fight is always difficult no matter how much time has passed. Hubby-kun (I call Itachi that, thanks to my best friend) had Danzo trapped in Infinite Tsukuyomi in "Vespertine", chapter thirteen, which made things fast. XD Then he ripped Shisui's eye out.**

 **My male friend (major Naruto fan to this day) thinks that it doesn't sit right with Itachi taking joy in someone else's pain, but this time will be an exception cause reasons.**

 **And now that reconstruction will begin, that leaves one more major issue to contend with: Sasuke. It's finally come out about his true (and unsurprising) motivations, but now it is up to Naru and help to stop him. A new three-way deadlock in making. ;D Stay tuned for that in the next chapter!**

 **REVIEW! :3**


	19. Three-Way! Squad Seven Falls!

**So, Sasuke deciding to destroy the village - the reasons will be explained in here, promise. I've made it work, so no one is gonna question again.**

 **I'm back, and besides the meticulous construction of what transpires, I've also been busy rereading old Star Trek: Deep Space Nine works of mine and fixing some minor mistakes I never noticed before.**

Chapter Nineteen

Three-Way! Squad Seven Falls!

 _Don't tell me, Sasuke..._

"What are you talking about, little brother?" Itachi asked coldly. "I doubt it sounds like you're implying what we are thinking." And Naru, while saying nothing, gazed at Sasuke the same way he was.

"Yeah, I don't like the way you say that. What are you thinking?"

Sasuke lifted his chin at them both.

"I held my end of the bargain, you two, so now I get to do what I feel is best for you both. I know this village means everything to you, but how you have been treated is inexcusable. My own brother made into a monster to the public's eye instead of the hero he is, and my best friend locked up for standing up to the very same man responsible - the man equally accountable for the deaths of more friends of hers - that is something I won't overlook." Sasuke's words now dripped heavier venom as his eyes swirled red and black.

"That's why I'm leaving now, but I'll be back...to destroy the system of the Hidden Leaf Village."

What he said - it was an utter disgrace, and Itachi loathed himself for not predicting that. "Foolish little brother...every word in that sentence is enough to mark you a true rogue - and a failure that I am ashamed of. After everything I did for you."

His eyes widened as the only reaction to the disappointment.

Naru exploded then and there, and it was by that time they both sensed help coming, yet they stayed as they were, but Itachi had to assume his henge in time before they got here.

"You...traitorous...bastard. And I thought you were a friend! Why would you want to destroy that which your brother risked so much to protect?! This is our _home_ , Sasuke!" She shrieked to the point of sounding like the young girl she used to be, and it must have taken Sasuke back to those times, though now was different because he had taken his revenge quest to another level - and utterly misinterpreted everything.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "The same home that treated the ones I care about like they were garbage," he spat, "and I will not let it pass like you two!" He then raised both his hands and slapped them before himself. "I will destroy Konoha and restore order."

He was gone in a puff of smoke. Naru swore aloud while Itachi did it in his mind. _Damn it all, Sasuke._

Had his younger brother been alone, or just had Juugo, Karin and Suigetsu, then his plans would have been futile, but now that there was an entire village waiting for him, it was highly likely unless he and Naru as well as their friends and the Akatsuki did something about this...

"Why...why would he do this?" Naru whispered, unable to look at him. He wondered the same thing, but one thing was certain: _Sasuke has become a true threat you have to deal with. You have the tool to do that._

By this time, company arrived in the form of Neji - in ANBU mask and uniform - as well as Sakura who was disheveled as much as the rest of them. The attention was on the dead carcass of Danzo Shimura himself. "It's done," Neji said to his subordinates. "Take him away and tell the others what happened..." Then he shifted his attention to him and Naru.

"...and that Naru Uzumaki returned and saved us all, with help of a friend."

Sakura looked down at the dead Hokage with a look of pure loathing, similar to when Sasuke had done so, but when she looked at Naru and saw the fire in her eyes - the Hyuuga saw this, too - she did the honor of asking her and Itachi, still in henge, to leave the room so that the corpse could be taken care of. The captain himself remained with his unit so that they could secure the scene...but they would ask questions about the missing arm of the Hokage. That was what Itachi would have to confide in secret, somehow, with Neji.

"So, what happened? I saw Sasuke come, but now he's gone," Sakura said heatedly, eyes flashing. _She's been treating injured and dying, having so many on her hands, but now she found the time to come and check it out._

Naru bitterly spat it out. "Sakura, you and I are going to do what I promised you. He intends to attack the village."

Green eyes bulged with pure shock and horror, and then it subsided into raging fury. "Sasuke..." The pinkette growled through her teeth, the vein popping out in her forehead, northeast of the seal which seemed to pulsate with her ire. "Naru, you and I, just like you said. Right now. Where do you think he could have gone?"

Sage Mode was in question since someone had to track Sasuke Uchiha, and Naru's eyes flashed, then turned to look up at Itachi, nodding and giving him the silent message.

 _We're going to stop Sasuke together. While everyone else is working on this village._

~o~

"I'm gonna punch his skull so hard it's gonna be mopped up - and not by me - when I'm through with him!"

She laughed at Sakura's rant when they were on the move in the direction Sasuke was going, and he hadn't yet met up with his followers. If anyone would interfere, she was going to send a hundred of herself to stop them from getting in the way. "Believe it, I won't stop you from doing that!" Naru declared as the smell of smoke and blood became fainter behind them.

The update on Deidara and Kisame before she and her friend took off: the boys got away without a scratch, two casualties on Konoha's side and one on Suna's - surprise, surprise - and Itachi's clone had informed them of what had just transpired, so who knew if she and Sakura would see them anytime soon. _And Itachi told them to keep out of it until it's really life-threatening to either of us._

Which meant the Akatsuki were going to stand by as backup and just enjoy the show.

"Let's do it together." And what she meant was what they both did together as they soared through the trees, getting nearer to the one who was flying through them at the same time, several yards away but getting closer and closer...

"SASUKE!"

Naru and Sakura hollered his name at the same time, and it caused him to halt, surprisingly. _**He halted, ha! Go get him, runt!**_

 _You'd better be ready to go if it comes to that then!_

The two _kunoichi_ dropped from the branches and stood before HIM in the clearing. Sakura snarled at the sight of him, the man she couldn't believe she even loved, and because he was now a threat to her village, she was ready to kill him if he planned to do so to either of them - because they were against his ideals.

 _ **Huh, finally gonna really do that to your friend? The one that I told would regret killing YOU?**_

 _I don't want to, but maybe I will if it..._ She halted that sentence because it was obvious enough. _He just...and he had HELPED us all this time! I thought he would give up revenge now that he knew everything!_

 _ **Well, I told you I didn't trust him from the start. Should have known it would not be easy. Not like he is like your Hyuuga and Kazekage friends.**_

"Naru. Sakura. What are you both doing here? To see me off?"

She could not tell if it was sarcasm or sincerity - or if he just pretended he didn't know altogether. "None," Sakura answered. "We're both here to stop you from leaving so that you can plan the destruction of the Leaf Village - just like Orochimaru before you."

The mere mention of the snake made his face twist. "It's nothing like that at all! Orochimaru wanted to destroy the village for his own means - and try to lay claim on me so he could take my body. _My_ means are to restore order to the place that inflicted unforgivable pain on two people that were close to my heart," Sasuke growled, features resembling that of a beast.

"Order," Naru retorted, clenching her fists, "or is this more to satisfy your own ego because you found that the truth is hard to accept, and now you want to let your anger and hate destroy you, like it did your clan?" _Unable to let go of that hatred, choosing to let it rot you to the core._ She unleashed the last of the tirade in a shriek that caused the birds overhead to take flight from the trees.

"You really want to get somewhere that will leave blood on the streets - and countless lives extinguished? That was exactly what Itachi prevented by following his orders!"

His face softened a little if remaining fierce and ready to battle. He said nothing - nothing at all.

"You heard her," Sakura concurred. "If you're gonna tear everything down because you feel personally betrayed, not just because of your brother and _our_ friend, then let's take it right here and now...just the three of us." And with that, she did the honors of starting what was going to be a brand new era their mentors passed down to them. Sakura raised her thumb to her lips and bit on the pad, drawing forth blood and then weaving the familiar hand signs that Sasuke also recognized and began to repeat, realizing what the girls who were his old teammates - now turned against him and ready to do the unimagined - intended.

Hissing, Naru was the final to do so - and all three simultaneously slammed their palms down on the ground before them. The jutsu formula appeared in the earth.

"SUMMONING JUTSU!"

~o~

He had arrived in time to see the smoke erupt in the vicinity of his range. Kisame and Deidara were in tow, and Zetsu materialized from the tree they were all perched atop, watching the scene from above.

"Un, what the hell are they doing now?" Deidara asked, blinking. "We come all this way at the end of the battlefield - to an EXPLOSION?" He slapped a hand over his mouth to keep himself from laughing at his own joke, refrained himself from saying his usual barbs about art, because of what the smoke cleared away from to reveal.

"Well, well - a new three-way deadlock, is it?" Kisame asked, canting his head to the side while leering with enthusiasm.

First was his brother the attention was on: Sasuke's summons was a great blue snake with a pair of light green eyes, though if Itachi had to guess on sight, he'd say this serpent was more dutiful and respectful than the mean-tempered Manda, who had been at Orochimaru's call.

How could he forget Katsuyu, the enormous white slug who served the Godaime? Now she was with Sakura Haruno, Tsunade's disciple. _But she is yet to learn of her old mistress' death._

That left Naru with the giant orange toad with the purple facial markings, and she was stunned when she recognized him on the spot, having not expected him to reach this size, and not knowing that toads grew faster than humans. In his mind, he pictured her being upgraded to the name of "Toad Princess".

"You're right, Kisame," he mused, "but this is not like their mentors in the Second Great War." _It's a new era...and this time is tearing an old team apart for better or worse._

White Zetsu giggled hysterically. "Oh, this is gonna be so much fun to watch!" **"I bet it on either Naru or Sasuke, but I wish I could say for sure about the Fifth Hokage's apprentice,"** Black Zetsu said snidely.

 _But Sakura Haruno did not train under Tsunade Senju for nothing._

~o~

"Gamakichi - you've grown."

She was so amazed that he'd come instead of his father, whom she was told had been tied up with negotiations, so his eldest son arrived in his place - armed and ready, which made them both. "You humans just grow too slowly, that's all," the orange toad replied smartly. _I bet his attitude has gotten just as big._

"So, Naru, what's the deal here - oh, never mind," Gamakichi said when he found himself sided with Katsuyu and the snake they were just getting acquainted with.

"Sasuke is our enemy once again. Meaning you and me, Sakura and Katsuyu against him and whoever that summons is," Naru answered, narrowing her eyes as she heard him speak to the snake, learning the thing's name was Aoda. If her memory was correct, those snake summons resided in the Ryūchi Cave, like the slugs came from Shikkotsu Forest and the toads from Mt. Myoboku.

Sakura's conversation with the great slug involved the pride that Lady Tsunade would have for her apprentice, only for the sadness to be heard in Katsuyu's voice when she was told of the old lady's death. Still, the words stood.

Though they might have been past the point of no return, she had to try one more time before there would be bruises and broken bones - and maybe blood. "You should end this now, Sasuke. Your idea of order is just going to inflict more pain on innocent people that are not involved with the Shinobi world. How you think Itachi will feel towards you when you do this?"

"No matter what, he's not gonna stop me," Sasuke replied icily. "He would just say, like you, that he knows how much I am suffering inside while knowing the truth, but could you REALLY comprehend that my whole life has been a lie because of those in authority? I could have killed the three elders responsible for his dishonor, for shunning the Uchiha clan - and therefore, the Senju-led village is just as responsible."

"So WE'RE responsible, too, for something we never knew about?!" Sakura shouted. "You're too swayed by your damned emotions to see what's in front of you!"

"Says the weak, useless girl who looked at my face instead of considering what might have gone on behind it!" he fired back, making her angrier.

"And who the hell was I to do that?" she agreed. "Weak and useless, I was, but look at me now. I hate myself for mistaking infatuation for love, but we were just kids. I've now rectified that mistake, and I'm not going to shed a tear if you were finished off here and now. That way, Naru is no longer burdened with the promise she made to me."

 _ **How would THAT feel, now that you're no longer fighting to bring him back - but to keep him from laying waste to everything?**_

Naru's answer was both to the fox and to Sakura's words. "We're not going to hold back any punches here, so you know we are going to bring the pain, Sasuke!"

And that was what high-level Shinobi did: never hold back the punches. This would be the final fight not just between her and Sasuke, but both of them AND Sakura. _High-level...hell yeah, that's what we are! I knew it would feel better than imagined._

He seemed to mirror her thoughts, for that one-sided smirk appeared on his face. And then it was gone when he sneered at her, knowing her full intentions. "I thought you would be on the same page as me, Naru. But now that Danzo is dead, you're not with me; you're against me. The same goes for you, Sakura. I thought you'd changed now, but you're more annoying now than you were when we were Genin."

The pinkette hissed through her teeth. "You're gonna pay for that. Lady Katsuyu!"

On her new mistress' command, the giant slug released her slimy acid in the direction of the snake who opened his jaws and hissed savagely, making way for Katsuyu - and that was Naru's cue to shout at Gamakichi to jump to the attack, sword unsheathed.

 _My turn, too!_

Gamakichi's sword made way down to Aoda's tail end, slicing it deftly off, earning a pained hiss as its owner whipped around and made way to lashing his invisible fangs at the toad, at the same time the acid missed its target, but it wasn't like the slug couldn't recharge for another try. Naru jumped off from her summons and made way, Kutone drawn and crackling with chakra, to meet with the other who also had his special sword ready to fight hers a second time.

That first strike was enough to drive each other back in opposite directions, and it was by this time Katsuyu's acid made another strike - and this time she hit Aoda again, only for him to shed his skin and escape the melting death.

However, that snake did not escape Sakura's merciless beating when she built up her chakra into her fists. God, Naru prayed she could get out of that thing if he decided to open his jaws to swallow her whole... _both those times Orochimaru's serpents tried to eat me up...and at that rate, she's gonna beat that snake to a pulp._

Except she should have counted on the fact that snake was more nimble and fast compared to Orochimaru's horned beast. He even wrapped himself around Katsuyu only for the big girl to dissolve into hundreds of smaller clones only to reform again.

Naru had to refocus herself back on Sasuke again, having an idea which involved turning on Sage Mode, staying a good long distance from him as she charged him all the same, making it look like she'd missed him; he was baring his teeth in a grin that spoke volumes of reaching her for the kill...

...but the slash she threw at him hit as he never saw it coming. She cut his cheek as well as the front of his chest, drawing blood but not in a fatal amount.

"Gotcha!" Naru said proudly, thinking to Kurama, _How about THAT?_ He simply laughed and whipped all his tails. And of course, down Sasuke went, reaching for his chest wound but keeping Kusanagi in his grasp, nursing it while glaring murderously up at her.

Above them, Sakura was coming down, shouting at the top of her lungs, "CHAAAA!" Her leg was raised out, and she brought it down for the impact of breaking the earth in this area, then causing those pieces to elevate like the petals of the flower she was named after. This sent Sasuke off his balance and in the other direction. The look on his face as he was getting his ass handed to him by both girls he once thought annoying!

Meanwhile, their summons had their own fight amongst each other. That meant the three former members of Team Seven had it on their own.

Now she and Sakura were back to back as they looked at their fallen opponent as he picked himself up, hissing sharply with his breathing. "These wounds are nothing."

For a moment, she considered using shadow clones along with her sword, but the Sharingan could assess who was the real one, and it would be a waste of her chakra. Next time on someone else would work, if she would use the big girl again after today.

"Leave him to me, Naru, for now," Sakura said, marching over to him and she pulled out two of her kunai - the poison-coated ones, she recognized - and threw them right out long-range, even though they would be deflected easily when he picked up his sword again...except before that, Sakura had surprised them altogether that Naru never thought she'd see anything like this.

 _Those kunai...there are shadow clones of them! Oh, God, when did she master a jutsu like THAT?!_

"CHIDORI STREAM!"

Unfortunately, the lightning that would have stopped them did not deflect the numerous blades, some striking him and grazing, but he was down again. "Don't worry, Sasuke," Sakura told him with a twinkle of sadism in her eyes. "You're not gonna die, but you're paralyzed for now. This is so I can continue beating and breaking every bone in your body myself."

 _Oh, ho, Sakura, you really are something else. You're more of a monster than I knew you'd be._ Naru grinned at her, but that was a mistake, because that meant a guard lowered that she NEVER should have let happen.

A great impact sent her and the pinkette backwards, and that was Aoda's tail coming down, but then he was gone in a gigantic puff of smoke. _Maybe his chakra was exhausted out?_ And that just left Gamakichi and Katsuyu in the picture to stand by and watch the rest of the show while it lasted.

Regaining their footing but crouching, Kutone behind her back once again for now, Naru and Sakura both looked with shocked horror at the sight before them. When Sasuke stood up, the black flames of the Curse Mark had covered his entire body.

"Damn it, why didn't I think he would use that?" Sakura whispered harshly.

"I'm partially paralyzed, but it's not going to last," Sasuke growled. "When I defeated Orochimaru, when I ended up trapped in the world of his Transference, I used my Sharingan to turn his devouring beast back onto him. That's where he ended up..."

Horrified, Naru subconsciously backed into Sakura who did the same, the thought mirroring: _He_ devoured _the snake into his own body. That means he has Orochimaru's chakra in himself, and some of his abilities with his own...oh, God. That also means he's immune to some forms of poison, like most venomous snakes are._

But that didn't stop Sakura, who readied herself again, and this time, Naru knew just how to get the bastard off for her once more. And that was when Sasuke weaved the signs and heaved a large breath in - for the great Fire Ball that came their way, and the girls leaped out of the way, but not if Naru had anything to say about it. She finally found it in herself to ask for Kurama to go into Tailed Beast Mode with her, so here she was now.

Coupled with a clone of hers, she formed the Rasengan to bring down onto Sasuke - behind him, Sakura was also making four shadow clones to get the drop on him, no matter it being a usage of her own chakra - and the smoke from the fire cleared only to reveal crackling silvery-gray lightning which she remembered as the Onyx Chidori from _that day at the final valley_...and it came into contact with the Rasengan that formed.

The impact was as expected: the explosion sent them backwards, and the feeling in her arm resulted in the mild scarring of tissue from compressed chakra. Livid and hissing, Naru clutched her arm and watched as it slowly regenerated itself, but she couldn't relax.

What highlighted her moment was when Sakura and her clones came down and knocked the hell out of Sasuke, sending him in every direction there was, except when she looked upon his features, the mortification was there as it was on Naru's, who remembered that look of him in the second stage of the Curse Mark: the long, bluish-gray hair, his skin ashen on the verge of charcoal, the inky cross mark across his nose, lips shapely if painted purplish - similarly to a _girl_ \- and finally his Sharingan floating amidst gray darker than his skin.

Sakura was seeing him like this for the first time, finally seeing what Naru told her when they were younger, and yet she wasn't affected as much. Only disgusted.

Now Sasuke was pulling out his sword once more, going for Naru as he was still in the beastly level - and a perfect match against her Tailed Beast Mode - so she had to be ready again as she reached behind her back for her partner...

...but the Kusanagi never came any closer than a few feet away at the same time the Kutone had finally come out, when the powerful blade made contact with another that wasn't the _Jinchuuriki_.

"SAKURA!"

You heard her right: the pinkette got in the middle of the would-have-been clash of swords - and the middle of her abdomen was pierced through with the powerful blade infused with lightning nature. So Naru screamed her name - and so did Sasuke, except it was a harsh growl of dismay: "Sakura...why? _Why did you get in my way?!_ "

The point of the sword sticking out through the middle of her body was covered with a thin layer of blood, so it was more pinkish than red, though the base was lined with crimson and lost a few drops which touched the ground. Sakura then turned her face halfway, showing no blood streaming from her mouth - yet - and forced a strained smile. Though her words were somewhat strangled.

"Because I'm not going to let you kill our - no, MY friend. I thought I made it clear, you strayed bastard. I never go back on my word, not anymore."

Those words...they were so similar to what Hinata said that day she let Pain toss her around. _Oh, damn it! You had to let yourself be killed by him to PROTECT me!_

Sasuke could say nothing to that, but not only was it because of what she said to him, but something else that Naru had no idea what to think of, because when he closed his eyes, she saw _blood_ drip down in place of clear tears. Kurama saw this and rattled.

 _ **Naru, you'd better watch out. You know what that is?!**_

She did, when the eyelids flew open again, and there she saw the change: against black irises was a six-point red star, centered with a single black dot. When she saw that, something inside her built up and continued to rise within her body, making way for her esophagus. It was almost like she wanted to...

 _Oh, God, I'm going to throw up._

Why did she feel like this, at a time like this?! Was it because one of her old friends stabbed another before her eyes, which was just as worse as an old enemy nearly killing another? _I lost Hinata, but Sakura...I don't want you..._

By now, the build-up reached her mouth, and she choked it out, feeling like she was going to suffocate from the enormous thing that escaped her mouth to fly above their heads, much to the shock and disgust of both Sasuke and Sakura when they saw this. But not so much as herself. Naru was still coughing from her sitting position.

 _Why the hell did a crow just come out of my mouth?! Are you KIDDING ME?!_

 **A brand new three-way showdown - had it planned from the start. :D Naru and Gamakichi, Sakura and Katsuyu, and of course Sasuke and Aoda. But the challenge was how to make it different than their mentors' battle in Part One.**

 **Oh, and Sakura's surprise jutsu: I thought it might be a good idea to introduce something that might be new, inspired by Lord Third's Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu. :D Hope ya'll liked that surprise.**

 **Oh and if someone says the three-way was a forced event, they're not gonna have nice words from me. Other than that: OMG he stabbed Sakura. :O And you know what the change in his eyes means...**

 **...and that crow coming out of Naru! Double drumroll. (but I promise it didn't emerge in response to Sasuke's Mangekyo)**

 **REVIEW! :D And please, be nice. That also means more than just "thank you, I look forward to more".**


	20. Goodbye For Now: Work to Do

**Response to TheBeauty: I'm starting to feel insulted because I know I DID make Sakura mature, because look at how much she showed Sasuke she has no interest in him, and she's doing everything to protect her friend. That is NOT nothing, much less annoyance. Apparently nothing is ever gonna live up to expectations. The problem is people expect too much only to be disappointed, rather than accepting how it IS. Makes me think they don't appreciate ANYTHING I do for them.**

 **As well, to Ben Walker1: the big deal was that Naru was still shaken up because she was momentarily reminded of what happened with Hinata and Pain. Sasuke, as well, doesn't yet know about the full extent, so that was why he made a supposedly bigger deal. Of course Sakura has the access and the summoning of KatsuyU.**

 **Well, anyway, everyone else who supported, I thank you all so far. :')**

Chapter Twenty

Goodbye For Now: Work to Do

"Hey, what did you do to Naru, Uchiha scumbag?" Gamakichi demanded angrily, getting a scoff of disgust as Sasuke reached to wipe his eyes with his free hand. _Just what I want to know - but did Sasuke REALLY do that when he just awoke the Mangekyo?_

Now she was worried more than ever, because now he would end up going through what his brother still was: over usage well into blindness.

"I didn't do anything, you stupid toad!" Sasuke snapped, at the same time he was releasing himself from level two back into his original self. "I was asking myself the same thing." The orange toad snorted right back, then looked back down at her, though before he could say anything else, there was a commotion which had a flash before their eyes.

Sakura had taken advantage of Sasuke rubbing his eyes, perhaps figuring out what he was going through, and raised a fist to strike him across the face, sending him backwards and taking his sword with him - which also pulled out of her, the pain shooting throughout her body causing her to harshly cry out and fall to her knees, but it didn't last.

Katsuyu cried out herself. "Sakura, my dear, are you all right?!"

"I'm...fine." The pinkette blew from her mouth to get the fallen strands of hair from her face, then fixed it back on Sasuke who stood where he was, some feet away and dismayed that she wasn't dead yet, as well as seeing the cause: the rhombus in her forehead had turned violet-pink, and from it grew black marks that spread throughout the sides of her face as well as downward to her body, vanishing beneath her uniform. "Gonna be my first time to finally use this. I should have waited until a greater conflict, but this is great as far as I am concerned."

This was the first time Naru was seeing what Granny Tsunade had done after being attacked by Orochimaru, though she'd been in painful unconsciousness at the time, so she saw nothing. But then Kurama spoke: _**Oh, that is something that puts her body and her life at risk despite its purpose, but only if it is reused over and over. Similarly to using the Mangekyo Sharingan many times, which increases the fading light in the eyes.**_

 _So if you speed up this jutsu, you shorten your lifespan?_

The answer was presented when she saw what happened, and when Sakura released that seal, the markings left the rhombus to go in those directions they spread across her expanses. Steam rose from that spot which was where Sasuke stabbed her. He watched it with that same disbelieved expression. "That jutsu...is the pinnacle of regeneration."

"Correction: it's the focal point of chakra control, but yeah, you're right," Sakura answered. "Right here -" She put a finger to her forehead where the seal was slowly reverting back to the way it was. "- is where I store reserves behind my forehead, for a time like this. This is what I spent the three years after you left training for, thanks to Lady Tsunade's guidance. That means until death, it remains vital to a medical ninja who mastered it, but that's only if you have the best chakra control; Shizune wasn't able to do it. And when I break the seal, the cells divide at an alarming rate, not repairing the old ones but giving new ones in place." Now she put a finger to the spot where her wound was now gone, exposed by the torn vest.

"Except I can only use it if the injuries are severe, like this one. Which means you can drive that sword of yours through me, you can poison me, or anything, but it's useless to kill me."

 _Damn it, why didn't I remember any of this - that she could do it, and summon Katsuyu with it, too? I guess I freaked too much because of the past that I made such a big deal._

That crow had flown down now, stopping mid-air and pausing right in front of Sasuke's face. He stared at it. And his face stayed as it was even as the bird took flight away, and came to land on Naru's shoulder. She started, baffled, and then she saw the single red orb in its left eye socket - _that pattern...it's the Mangekyo._

And that meant...oh, she remembered it now.

The day she was in Itachi's _genjutsu_ , and that crow which he made fly into her mouth - that was it!

 _"I have shared some of my power with you...though I hope the day when you will have to use it never comes."_

Now that she looked closer, she saw that instead of the trio pinwheel that Itachi had, there were _four._ If it wasn't his, then whose was it...?

"...oh, God."

~o~

 _Excellent...it's out now._

It finally happened, in this moment and right after his brother ran his sword unintentionally through Sakura - _damn it, someone else will curse her for doing that reckless act, but Naru was still getting up and wouldn't have made it -_ who stopped him from getting to her friend. Her words were crystal clear when she referred to Naru as HER friend and not theirs.

But before all of that, he and the other Akatsuki saw the power of the Curse Mark for the first time - "whoa, un, that MONSTER is your _brother?!_ " Deidara exclaimed in horror. He couldn't have been more right, and even Kisame was aghast. Zetsu was enthralled and mortified, despite seeing many over-the-top disastrous things. Though for their leader...

 _Sasuke._

If only there was a way to free him of that curse that Orochimaru left on him, but there was one way which meant exhaustion to the limits and possibly near-death.

The show, as Kisame called it, was quite the spectacle, and Itachi could not disagree. He watched as both the summons that were Gamakichi and Katsuyu vanish in great smoke, leaving just the new era of the Three Sannin - though their mentors deserved that title - and that was his cue to appear, standing up from the tree and becoming the flock of crows to fly down and materialize behind his dazed brother.

Sakura, completely healed from the forbidden healing jutsu her master taught her, stared at Sasuke, unable to believe what she had just seen. "What the hell just happened?" she demanded.

Sasuke looked her square in the eye, answering as if sounding like he was still in a trance. He just stood there, face blank but overwhelmed nonetheless.

"The village isn't at fault. Everything happens for a reason, and not every single person has to be the enemy, but I was just too blind to realize it."

His words made her and Naru look on with surprise, and the latter rose to both feet. "Sasuke..." she said, unsure if she was hearing what she thought she heard and unsure if she should believe it at all. But Itachi had every intention of convincing her otherwise - as long as he could get her and Sakura away to explain everything.

"Kisame, Deidara, Zetsu," he shouted, startling his younger sibling as well as the girls, and all three appeared, two of them jumping out from the trees as he had and the other slowly coming up from the ground.

"Itachi," was all the younger Uchiha could say. Meanwhile, the other men awaited their orders.

"All of you, find his team and get them away from the perimeters of this village, and wait for my orders. Sasuke..." His tone hardened. "You'd do well to follow on your promise now that you've realized your mistake. Then the girls or myself won't have to chase after you again to make sure." _So that I don't have to be forced to kill you myself._

And looking into Sasuke's eyes meant a similar problem to his own, which also meant a serious discussion that had to come between them.

 _It's also time to go now that all of this is over._

"Itachi, that crow - why did it come out...?" Naru asked, her friend there to witness while the other men went off to do as he said. Sasuke looked over his shoulder once at them, guilt present, and then forced himself to break the contact. "Whatever it did to Sasuke, you have it to me that day?"

"What are you saying, Naru?" Sakura asked, having never been told of this. She raised an eyebrow. The blonde lowered her gaze.

"It wasn't important. It was nothing that endangered me, but I already kind of had an idea since it finally happened: it was meant to stop Sasuke from attacking our home, if it ever happened. And it worked, but I have no idea what the hell it was, because would a _genjutsu_ really work the way it did, since I never could get him to come to his senses?"

There was no time to finish, because he wanted to get away as soon as possible before any Sand or Leaf Shinobi could come this way. "It's best that I tell you as much as I can now, because I have to go soon," Itachi told them, and her face fell. He was sure her heart was doing the same, too.

"...you're finally leaving again."

"Yes. It was bound to happen, though it was never in stone...and for once, my heart was right all along to believe everything would work out," he admitted, finally smiling broadly to both sides, and Sakura never thought she'd see that. "I'm grateful for you, Naru, for everything, and for doing what you could to save my brother."

Except the final touch had been because of him. "Yeah, about that," she replied, "what was it?"

"I'll keep it short, as I said. It was the ultimate _genjutsu_ that belonged to Shisui Uchiha. To make Sasuke change his ways as a last resort when all other options failed, but you can only use it once. It's nothing compared to anything I possess myself," Itachi explained.

Sakura had no idea how to process all of it, or could it be she was pondering whether or not to recall what he was talking about? She was the protégé of Tsunade, so of course the late Fifth knew of Shisui's accomplishments and abilities in old records - as well as the classified ones. He wouldn't be surprised if the pinkette had access to them as well, but he had no idea if that applied when Danzo had still been in control.

Naru also appeared to figure out what he meant, but she said nothing. She didn't have to. "I see..." was what came out at last, and that was it. "So, in the end, the both of us - and you, too, Sakura - all got to work together instead of just me alone."

He smiled at her and closed his eyes, stepping closer to her and bowing his head so that the forehead touched hers. He spilled everything from his heart and soul.

"We did. Naru, before I leave, I want you to know something: you're my light and everything else, but for now, I have to be out there finishing what I have to, and you do the same. Every night I sleep, I always see your face instead of the dead and the memories of my actions. It's not erased, but has been locked away in favor for something brighter and deserving."

Her eyes were shining, and the tears fell down her cheeks. "Itachi, you're going to make me b-b..." She wasn't able to finish that sentence, but he knew she meant "blubber". Chuckling, he angled his face so that he kissed her lips which hadn't been touched by her salty eye water. She hiccupped then.

"If I lose you for sure out there, then I would rather have no one at all. All I need is my friends and my memories of you. No other man has me since you already have."

Her words were enough to make Sakura turn so pink her skin matched her hair. She was also wiping her eyes of her own floodgates. "Oh, God, you two, that's so beautiful..."

Clearing his throat and feeling freed from internal burdens, Itachi gave his kitsune one more kiss before looking back at the medic. _It's time._ "Sakura, Naru, get yourselves back before any ANBU or Jounin get here."

There was nothing else to say, since they both knew he would be back as much as he was certain. Maybe not forever, or even a decade, but a few years at most. Until then...

He was gone in a flock of crows before the girls' eyes.

~o~

The revelation hit her to the core, when she remembered in his memories that _Danzo_ stole Shisui's right eye, and the left one he gave to Itachi before he...

 _...that was it. That eye was SHISUI'S - implanted in the crow._

He said it was a unique, ultimate visual jutsu that was far superior than even the Tsukuyomi or normal _genjutsu_. He had been given the left eye, and he gave it to HER so that she could use it as a last resort when everything else failed against Sasuke. Part of her was dismayed that such a mind technique could be used against his own brother, but on the other hand, she was glad it worked...but would it stay that way?

Itachi made the others take him away after that, so would she ever see Sasuke again anytime in the future? _**Time will tell, runt. Just hope it finally cracked that skull of his...**_

His words continued to be with her, making her heart sing and her tears fall, as he kissed her then in front of Sakura who was still blushing despite what they had done today, in a more positive way than before: _"Naru, before I leave, I want you to know something: you're my light and everything else, but for now, I have to be out there finishing what I have to, and you do the same. Every night I sleep, I always see your face instead of the dead and the memories of my actions. It's not erased, but has been locked away in favor for something brighter and deserving."_

He came out and said that before her friend - just the three of them. And now Sakura couldn't stop babbling. "If he comes back, if his name is cleared, then you got to make me your maid of honor at your wedding!"

"Sakura, we are nowhere near that yet!"

That meant these things to worry about as they often discussed: this poor village which lost so many people, some buildings that needed reconstruction. Anything of Danzo had to be erased for good, but what could they do about that prison cell up there in his rock face? Where SHE had been?

It was great luck they found their friends, and Naru meant _everyone_ , but Neji was elsewhere. _If only Hinata were here_. She had to tell them that what happened was she and Sakura found time to speak to Sasuke - but they let him go. Because you couldn't make someone come home when they didn't want to; the real information that he plotted to destroy Konoha would be put aside, unless it sparked again.

That also meant she and Sakura could tell them that Itachi and the Akatsuki helped them. This was a shocker and mild outrage with them, so it took a load of effort to convince them that Itachi wasn't a villain, and there was truth behind the Uchiha massacre, but that would come to light when the village was stable again and Shinobi united.

Of course Kiba barked the most, until he was threatened with a merciless punishment by Sakura. That was enough to make Akamaru whimper behind his master as he could only imagine the results.

Shikamaru, ever the logical one: "Crazy as it sounds, I'm willing to bet it all that there is good reason. We should trust you both like before." His face tightened. "But I don't know about Sasuke."

"Well, the fact he left us all - it means we should just NOT treat him as a criminal since he hasn't done anything like Orochimaru?" Tenten agreed.

It was Sai to speak for her defense, which Naru was grateful for. "You're both right on that. He is still our friend and comrade, he helped this village - though I still don't know much about him myself. Danzo-sama long ago gave me the task to eliminate him, but I didn't for Naru and Sakura's consideration. So, we have no choice but to accept the fact that he is nothing like the Snake Sannin, as well."

 _Wow, he's really good at convincing everyone. And Ino - look at her, the way she looks at him. That's definitely real love, Kurama. And pride, too._

 _ **Damned straight! Seems she's no longer infatuated with**_ **him** _ **, same as your medic friend.**_

Yeah, she saw that, too. But then Naru gazed at Lee who was frowning as he wasn't sure if he should believe Sasuke Uchiha had changed for the better, because right now, nothing was still certain, and that was the way of the Shinobi. Then it softened when he looked at Sakura, who in turn made eye contact with him. Her smile at him was genuine, not silly and with stars in her eyes as a preteen.

She was in love with Rock Lee; how could Naru had not seen it before, and why did her friend not hint it? Maybe Sakura didn't know it for sure yet, or she was still focused on independence as well as fixing their home back.

And speaking of which, there was more news, shifting gears so that the talk of Sasuke Uchiha wasn't adding more thorns to their sides. Sakura said so, having known for a while but chose to wait until now.

"There's talk about Kakashi-sensei becoming the next Hokage."

 **After Itachi's heartfelt words, Naru saying he was going to make her blubber was an homage to a similar thing that transpired at the end of "Forever In Your Arms" by Acherona. :') I love that shot so much that I had not used a "blubber" moment, lol.**

 **So the next chapter will be the finale, and for that as well as right now: anyone who says something critical will get nothing but cold water if not physically. I worked my ass off on this entire story, and the criticism I got from two people recently has been nothing but a waste of time, especially when I did the three-way fight between the former Team Seven for the first time. :O**

 **Frustration aside, reviews appreciated. :D And love, please. More detail too!**


	21. Epilogue: The End is the Beginning

**Took me FOREVER to do this, but tying loose ends takes time and effort.**

 **Oh, and given what tomorrow is, Happy V-Day! :3:3:3**

Epilogue

The End is the Beginning

Five years have passed.

Half a decade it had been since the near-destruction of his village from within. There had been so much to do that it was done with good faith after ensuring that Sasuke would keep his word that he would NEVER set his army on the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Kotoamatsukami really did its work on him that it never happened.

"And I thought you showed him no mercy for sure, though it's surprising that you warped him - what was that which caused him to have a change of heart after he almost kills one girl and then the other?" Kisame had asked when they were all on their way back to the hideout, and this was after leaving Sasuke and his friends to their journey back "home".

"Something that had to be used as a last resort should he threaten to destroy the village, which the Leaf can't afford after all of this."

Deidara had scoffed, and there they went again on the way home on the bird. "That was a lot of fun, but too bad I got to do it once." He'd held up one of his hands which had the opened teeth licking at themselves, but the Uchiha didn't flinch. "Although it was fun to watch your brother and the girls." He'd frowned then. "But un, what Kisame said. Whatever happened, why did it?"

"If you ask me, if I am right," Kisame had added, "he must have thought he could leave the village again...or he planned to come back and attack since Konoha is at its most vulnerable now that its Hokage is dead."

 _You are on the mark._ It seemed now that everything was settled, he could finally confide in them, though if they so much as attempted what he feared, he knew what he would have to do.

And so Itachi told them everything. Zetsu knowing was no surprise at all, but the shark man who had been his partner for a long time? And the clay bomber who tolerated him only?

Kisame was as expected: "You had been spying on us all the time, before Great Leader Pain's death." There had been a trace of spite and betrayal in that voice as he truly did consider him a friend after everything they faced, and Itachi had to feel a twinge of regret. "I suppose I should say that I could turn on you and have us face in a challenge to the death, like I warned you that day on the docks -" _So many years ago, it's been._ "- if we hadn't all been working to save that village you are still dedicated to, which gave me all the clues ever since you issued your orders...Great Leader." The title was spewed with sarcasm, the leer present if not reaching his beady eyes that spoke volumes of deceit.

And of course, there was Deidara who huffed and folded his arms across his chest: "That don't surprise me one damned bit, and I'm envious of you, Uchiha. You remained loyal to now. I had a feeling there was something behind all of this!"

Itachi did not back down when he faced them both. "Yes, but as much as we hate deception, it's part of the world. Now that it is all coming to an end, we can finally drop the pretenses. I'm not going to stand here and apologize to you both for hiding my true self."

He half-expected a grand explosion of words - well, the loud outbursts from the bomber, but his partner low and icy cold to match him - but surprisingly, they seemed to acquiesce his words better than he anticipated. There was hope, yet, except Kisame looked more betrayed that he needed more time to get accustomed to this new knowledge. _Loyal to the end, I see._

Before heading back to the base, that left Sasuke, and that meant having Zetsu out there as often as he could be spared...and some time later he would come back with incredible news that no one would see coming. His brother intended to support the cause which was to return all the Tailed Beasts back to their respective lands, and bring it to the table of the planned Kage Summit.

This was Itachi's great concern, because then that would have to be a careful discussion as to how he came across the beasts which were once within their hosts and why he decided to just give them back on conditions there would be no usage of them as weapons. But that wasn't all: the demons deserved freedom, after being imprisoned within humans, and that meant no more binding the hosts themselves to being used for warfare.

That decision was an absolute stunner, and would no doubt do so when he would sit before the Five Kage - including Kakashi Hatake, recently placed on the seat though not yet inaugurated - but that was something the Uchiha brothers could fix before public placement: _we can suppress the Tailed Beasts, and we can get through to them that humanity isn't terrible._

Now he found himself becoming proud of Sasuke, though he wished him luck on his decision to voice when - or if - he would be asked why he would do this for all Five Great Nations after abandoning his home and taking up the mantle of one of the greatest S-class rogues in history.

"It was effort to regain the sealed away Tailed Beasts," he would eventually learn that Sasuke said on that day which came, a year after the short-lived civil war in Konoha ended, and present were not only Gaara and his advisors who were both siblings, and not only Kakashi as well as _Naru Uzumaki_ \- acting as his successor-in-training - and Shikamaru Nara, but there were the other Kage who had long since been adversaries with each other. All present just to listen to this "rogue" who never was to begin with.

Sasuke had continued: "We have all done so much, though our intentions we believed were just really were more of selfish desire, and our own inability to think outside the realm of possibility. Because of such, we let people like Danzo and Orochimaru use and exploit us to achieve their greed. As a consequence, we lost countless people - people that can never be brought back, but let us honor them in memory by doing what's right instead of what's easy. I'm one to talk because I did the easy way which also hurt those who cared about me." He'd lowered his eyes then and there.

"Which is why I've taken it upon myself to keep my seat in the Hidden Sound Village and have it declared an individual, official nation which won't live in the old ways under Orochimaru, nor would it use people as tools."

Sasuke not only had help with having his name cleared - effort of both Kakashi and Naru - but he also briefly explained that he would personally return the Tailed Beasts and keep out of everyone's hair with the newly established Otogakure, but Konoha and Suna would let it be conjoined as an ally; the latter part was to be kept between the trio and handled another time.

All in all, Itachi Uchiha could never have been taken off-guard in the sense he never thought he would live to see these days.

When his baby brother met up with him, he told him all of this. And the elder told him in return that he had never been so proud of him.

For the first time, alone, they embraced and thus reconciled.

~o~

 _Tomorrow is the day, Kurama!_

 _ **It certainly is - the one we have all waited for, runt. I never thought it would really come.**_

A few years felt like forever, but she was determined to make all of it work. That was what she did best, along with everyone else. But while only a few would know - Sakura, Kakashi-sensei mostly - of her lonely heart and her relationship with Itachi, she was going to live through, because she was a ninja.

Besides the dead who were buried and honored, Shizune brought forth Granny Tsunade's urn which was placed before everyone as a memorial and her photograph discovered which was one of the few remaining as Danzo thought to eradicate all trace of his hated rival. To see that piece of art carrying her remains, surrounded by white flowers and the images of Konohamaru, Hinata, and others who recently were killed - she was sure that Danzo kept them all up for appearances' sake and tradition.

And speaking of which, she found the time, with Sakura and the others, to visit the graves of Konohamaru and Hinata. There was not one dry eye - especially not herself.

 _Rest in peace, you two. You were among the strongest people I've known. Hinata, for a final time, you put yourself down for me when I never asked you to, and Konohamaru, you had your life ahead of you until it was taken before you could catch up to me. I'm going to miss all those times we had..._

Naru sure was glad that she didn't get to see Hiashi Hyuuga herself, because she would have lost her sanity. Oh, she intended to ask the man how he could live with himself after what he did to his daughter, even if he had no choice.

And as for her training: boy, was it a hell of an effort, and to be Hokage meant so much more than just jutsu and battles, though it wasn't anything she hadn't heard from others' mouths. That meant she and Shikamaru would be close with the new Nanadaime Hokage - _Seventh Hokage, and that means after him, I'll be the Eighth!_

It was a frightening but also an exciting opportunity to be in the presence of the other Kage besides Gaara who was there when Sasuke requested a summit - his reasons not yet revealed before then - and Kakashi-sensei was there in attendance.

This was a chance to have Sasuke removed from the Bingo Book once and for all.

To see the other three Kage - the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist, the Raikage of the Hidden Cloud, and the Tsuchikage of the Hidden Rock - was intimidating except for one. The lady at first seemed very kind and forgiving, though wary until further notice. Naru decided she might like her already, but as for the mean-looking old shorty, she wondered how the hell he was still alive and probably keeping the old ways up instead of a new generation.

And of course, she had no idea about the big guy who clearly could run on a short fuse if you say the wrong thing - or no matter what. Might as well be tough to reason with him. _**His brother is the**_ **Jinchuuriki** _ **of the Eight-Tails,**_ Kurama told her, which took her aback. At the same time, she wasn't surprised at all.

Turned out the summit took place in the Land of Iron, which wasn't operated by ninja, but _samurai_ and was dominated by snow and the coldest of temperatures. Talk about neutral ground.

What Sasuke told all of them - most of all, occasionally looking her way since it was obvious her opinion mattered most to him - was sensational even to the most cynical of elders which made her want to punch someone's face. What he said was that he wanted Otogakure as an independent village, if smaller than the five great ones, and swore he was never a threat to begin with. And it ended with a great surprise: _he's personally distributing all the stolen Tailed Beasts back to their respective homes, but free and acting as guards of the Great Nations._

Of all the things, she never thought she would hear that, but it made her so happy that Kurama shared her joy, except as for the two remaining _Jinchuuriki_ \- herself and this Killer Bee of Kumogakure - that meant they had to keep their demons in until death. No one was removing them from their hosts without pain of death.

He was greeted with opposition, of course, mostly from the Raikage and Tsuchikage. Though the latter stated clearly he had no personal quarrel with him, having his reasons for standing ground because of his history with Sasuke's ancestor - _Madara Uchiha._ The other issue was that the Hidden Rock Village was notorious for using the Akatsuki for their means, which meant they were considered on the watch. _Hard to believe this man was the same one old man Third negotiated peace with after the end of the last war._

She basically had nothing good to say about these three villages, but from what she heard of the bloody Mist, under this woman who was known as Mei Terumi, she was trying to make things better. Naru wouldn't be surprised that wicked Shinobi in her lands were still keeping to the old days, because they believed it a right. Clashes always present.

The same could be said for Kumogakure, not only because ninja once kidnapped her mother to try and study her chakra, but they also tried to do the same with Hinata. Plus, the Raikage called Sasuke a "brat who ran away from home to chase after the brother who butchered his life"; was he saying that because he knew what it was like to be a so-called better brother? This big guy ought to be taught a lesson, and she would gladly do that as well as give him a piece of her mind. But here wasn't a good time.

 _All these villages over the years...always stealing or trying to steal jutsu. It's got to stop, the sooner the better while we are standing here, Kurama._

 _ **Looks like it may start.**_

Apparently, the Raikage called out on what to do with the Akatsuki now that the Tailed Beasts were returning to them, though he was skeptical if he struck some kind of deal with the enemy just so he could get something out of this. Which meant his status in the Bingo Book was brought up. So Kakashi said his end.

"Sasuke was one of my students, so I know him better than anyone, but so do his old comrades who did everything they could to try and bring him back. As you all know, his brother slaughtered his clan, which left him consumed with vengeance -" Sasuke did a damned good job hiding the loathing behind this story, and so did Naru. "- so he left us to chase after Itachi Uchiha. But he ended up under the influence of Orochimaru until he betrayed him and defeated him -" He was rudely interrupted by the impatient Raikage who ended up being talked down by Lady Mizukage, who was icy cold and sickly sweet at the same time.

That was Sasuke's cue to interrupt and finish. "Well, long story short -" Sarcasm was there. "- I was not returning back to Konoha until my mission was complete, but I ended up finding another purpose since I finally realized that revenge solved nothing. So I have a new path: to run the Hidden Sound Village and reverse its ways from under that snake. I was never an S-class criminal to begin with; that was all Danzo's doing. And distributing the Tailed Beasts as proof of my trust is a new step, just like the First Hokage did a long time ago...but there will be no more use of them as weapons of wartime. That is my final word."

There you had it: Sasuke got through to all of them.

That also meant he would be linked with Leaf and Sand as allies, which could be seen as a way to make up for what happened at the Chuunin Exams a long time ago. Thank the gods there were no real threats to them...for now.

And here was his manner of obtaining the beasts: they were just secret methods of his own, and to ensure the Akatsuki never set foot near the surrounding nations again. And they knew what the repercussions meant, since it was only the three of them now, with no chance of increasing their power since they'd all but lost it. At least, that was speculation until further notice.

The return home was nothing short of relief, the three of them: Kakashi-sensei, herself and Shikamaru, but not before they went up to Sasuke who was guarded by his trio. Naru shared a brief smile with Karin, at how good it was to see her cousin again, before it was back to what Sasuke said. Kakashi told him that he couldn't have been more proud of him for the man he became, and that he was welcomed back to visit the Leaf anytime; Shikamaru even said he was shocked when he had his doubts. And it was like Sasuke to just nod and not say any words, before turning his attention to her.

"Naru, could you deliver a message to...Sakura for me? I want her to know I was a fool to not see what was in front of me, but if she doesn't want me, then I'll leave her - especially after what I did to you both."

 _Well...about time you admitted it, you jerk. But if it's what I think it is, you're too late._

She referred to the obvious fact that Sakura was now with Lee, and so she told him this herself. As she predicted, there was sadness and guilt in his eyes, but he bit his tongue and swallowed down whatever he was feeling. That meant he was going to have to live with this and prefer to spend his life alone, having more important things to do. She felt sorry for him.

She thought back to the time she and Sakura were in conversation about the moment Sasuke activated his Mangekyo Sharingan when he stabbed her, and the pinkette said this: "He activated the Mangekyo, but by the looks of it, it's very dangerous - based on what you told me about Itachi. If that's true, then he's gonna have to get eye transplants somehow!" Which meant she wished she could be there, since she was more than qualified, or her and Shizune together. Except they weren't...

 _God, Kurama, I hope so. I can't bear the thought of Itachi out there, still going blind or is blind already - or could someone he knows perform eye surgery, and if Sasuke gets it?!_

 _ **Perhaps. Not like your lover is a fool or will come back to you sightless.**_

As always, the wise fox was right, because five years later, after hard work paying off, she was told some wonderful news which had her screaming and jumping for joy with Sakura when they were on their training grounds, privately and away from the eyes of the villagers and their friends.

Itachi was coming home.

Word was that he willingly showed up alone at the village gates, though absent of his Akatsuki cloak and slashed headband, but of course that didn't stop the swarm who wasted no time cuffing him and sealing his eyes with tags - which was two days ago - before leading him away for interrogation and judgment. Despite the damnable appearance, Naru knew what was going to happen, and she had every reason to be overjoyed and let her heart sing; she did not exaggerate with that use of the word.

He underwent Ibiki Morino's interrogation and Inoichi Yamanaka's mind techniques...and what they found would have shaken the Leaf Village off its feet for good if it wasn't so stable now. They discovered everything that indefinitely cleared Itachi's name, but at least the perpetrators were all dead, and the ordinary people would know that their Sandaime never wanted such an abominable act to take place.

The other clans were definitely talking amongst themselves, but thank the gods Kakashi got them together to explain that nothing like this would ever happen to them. And when he was finished being Hokage, he trusted _Naru_ to see through with this.

Her Itachi, the one she loved, was officially declared a hero as he deserved to be.

All of which brought her to tonight, when she waited for him in her new apartment, the balcony door wide open, and she was in the soft white dress which Temari gave her, as well as the pearls that her man gave her in Suna at its North Wind Festival. Her heart was pounding so much that she paced back and forth in her own room, ignoring Kurama sniggering that she would collapse before he came here if she kept this up, but she couldn't help it!

 _My man is coming, and tomorrow is also a big day for me, too! My training is done, and I'm finally gonna be Hokage!_

 _ **And I couldn't have been more proud of you, my little brat.**_

The balcony door got her attention now - or rather, the breeze that blew in as well as the sensation of HIS presence that she whirled around, the skirt brushing over her newly smoothed legs, and saw him there, just as she'd seen him that day of his arrival. And his voice made her run up to him, her darling hero.

"Hello, Naru...my fox."

~o~

The night before her inauguration, he chose to finally come and see her - and the sight of her was irresistible as she happened to be wearing THAT dress just for him. Chuckling, he made himself known outside her balcony.

He didn't go to her right away because of reasons when he finally disbanded the Akatsuki after the deed was done thanks to his brother, but another important matter had to take place before he finally came home. The matter which was his eyes as well as Sasuke's...

Rather than the use of the eyes which were those of their clansmen who were disrespected by both Danzo and Madara, he and his younger brother swapped eyes. The procedure was performed by Karin, who had some knowledge of surgery besides being a human feeding bag. Three weeks of recovery for them both.

Sasuke knew the risks of the Mangekyo Sharingan, how it came to be, and that there was only one way to prevent anymore risks. He also saw the eyes of their kin, and the rage was there, so the decision was made so that there would be no more conflict on their watches: these eyes were all destroyed by fire. _By Amaterasu._

"Please, take care, big brother," were Sasuke's words just as he was leaving Oto, making way for Konoha on one of Deidara's birds. But then the warning: "But if I hear nothing went as planned, I'm coming right over there."

He got similar words from Kisame, Deidara and Zetsu when they parted ways. The trio promised they would get by with what they did best, and swore on HIS honor they would come nowhere near his home, and that they would be close to Sasuke if not aligned. Close to home, you could say. _I won't be surprised if they start a mercenary trade or something._

Itachi had never felt so good when he shed the Akatsuki cloak, the slashed Leaf headband and his ring, then piled them to throw into the fire that he made himself. He watched as they vanished into black ash, licked at by the amber flames until there was nothing left but said ash.

This was symbolic: the ending of an old life, beginning of a new one. Or should he say that this meant the end of a lie and the start of honest living?

When he arrived at home's gates, he was prepared for the cuffing and sealing, being locked away for the day until he was brought into the interrogation room, subjected to the Yamanaka's mind techniques...and everything came to the open.

Five years had been the perfect timing for all of this. The wait was over, and Itachi Uchiha could stop worrying especially about the Uchiha name. The blame lay mostly on Danzo and the two counselors who were also dead because of him.

When he was released, he found himself speaking with Kakashi. It was surreal to see him in the Hokage's hat and cloak, given that he knew as much as the other man that the leader seat wasn't for him at all, no matter if the higher-ups and their fellow Jounin believed otherwise. "But soon, since we're back on our feet, Naru is gonna get her wish," Kakashi said with a gleam in his eyes, which also reminded him of something extremely important. The Uchiha knew exactly why.

 _I'm coming to see you tonight, my precious fox._

"Somehow I sort of saw you in my place, Itachi - before her, I mean. You're more qualified than me, and I would have been your right hand man instead."

"Not at all." Some of the looks that weren't of praise from certain people - mostly the civilians who still saw him as unwelcomed, but he didn't care in the slightest, emotionally - played a part in his response. "Maybe I would have accepted the Hokage seat had things been different, but not now. Everything is exactly as it should be."

He also came across Sakura Haruno - or should he say, he saw her from afar at the tea stand with Rock Lee? There were also some of their other friends about in the streets as if nothing terrible had happened, but that was because it hadn't been the case in the last five years.

But Itachi didn't have it in himself to approach anyone - until Sakura and her friends saw him and chose to go up to him. Strangely, he felt elated that they already welcomed him.

Now, here he was tonight, and the night before Naru Uzumaki's inauguration.

That meant tomorrow he would be there to see it happen. He would see her standing up there, taking the oath and all, smiling down at the people who still worshipped her even after she was labeled wanted by Danzo Shimura.

She was in that dress Temari gave her, and he watched her from the rooftop across the street. She paced back and forth as if frazzled, but he was positive she knew he was here and was impatient to see him. It amused him to know she chose to look like that just for him. So he leaped across and landed on her balcony outside her opened door, startling her, but when she recovered, she dashed his way and into his embrace which he gladly swept her up into.

They should be talking tonight, but because of tomorrow and a much brighter future ahead of them, it was unspoken when decided that it could wait until after the fun.

 _She won't ever know about the details of the cross-transplant when I tell her that my eyes are well again, and Sasuke won't bear the trouble._

That meant they found their way into her room, right over to her bed where he wasted no time divesting her of the soft, ghostly dress and revealing her glorious body to him. This body which matched that of her scandalous jutsu, but even that illusion was just a fleeting moment compared to many more nights to last. He was consumed with desire to claim her, taking it slow and gently before the wait became too much. He felt his mouth water at the sight of both her breasts...and the pearl necklace that had gathered around her throat as she laid down. _You still wear it, but I knew you never would take it off._ He lowered his mouth to one breast, running his tongue over that nipple before grazing it with his teeth, making her writhe and hiss that he was making her impatient, and it had been YEARS since they did this.

She'd waited for him, as she promised. For that, he could think of one thing, but that would wait until he was able.

"S-st-stop, for a moment," Naru gasped out, putting both hands on his shoulders. Itachi paused, looking up at her with a furrow of his brows. His loins were burning to join with her, and what did she want? "You'd better take those clothes off before you do anything else."

He grinned at her, standing up and doing what she asked, and as soon as he was naked as she was, they resumed their reunion that lasted a good long time of the night...her hands roaming over his muscled back and buttocks, his blood-pumping length sliding in and out smoothly within her feminine core leaking fire which just about amplified the pleasure they gave each other with every tactic purely out of love and not technicality or necessity; when it was all over, they fell asleep as they were, in that he was still sheathed right between her legs, which were still wrapped around his waist...

...and by the time her alarm rang the next morning for the day that finally came, he bolted out, renewed with vigor, to get ready with her. Not before there was a comical, embarrassing moment that was not witnessed by anyone else: he ended up taking her out of bed with him and landing on the floor, both stark naked. Thank the gods no one saw, or else he would have died!

When the humor was over, mostly on her part, it was onward to some morning affection without going as far as they did last night.

 _You finally made it, my love, and now I am going to stand beside you. And then the hardest parts will come._

~o~

 _"I, Kakashi Hatake the Seventh Hokage shall be presiding this ceremony - the inauguration of the Eighth Hokage. Let's now bring out the woman of the hour herself...Naru Uzumaki."_

So, here she was now, and that day had been the best of her life - counting the man she loved being a part of it. She sat behind the desk which belonged to the one who was respected and acknowledged by all; a lifetime of hardship, hard work and friends at her sides paid off.

This cape was over her brand new get-up, consisting of the sleeveless orange vest over fishnet which reached her elbows, and of course she kept her standard trousers and sandals. Old Naru was still here, as far as she was concerned. Though that meant she had to put on a mostly serious face if she needed to continue making good impressions, especially for those old windbags who were still on the council.

Hokage's nightmare, which she now understood for poor dear Granny Fifth, rest her: _paperwork._

Though, luckily, Shikamaru was there to help her when he could, laidback as the guy was.

Sakura became chief medic and ran the hospital; she and Lee were also engaged, which was a great blessing. Just like the pinkette, too, to begin planning a wedding which was intimate but would also have the trimmings. A location was yet to be in place.

Ino and Sai were also married, and expecting their first child.

Shino became Jounin instructor at the very same Academy where they had all been to. So had Tenten, Lee and Choji.

Neji was still captain of the ANBU Black Ops...which was also where _Itachi Uchiha_ ended up again, though not among the ranks. More so, he was put in the desk job at headquarters, running the entire place, which Naru thought was better for him than going out there again. He didn't deserve all that insanity anymore.

Under the Hachidaime's reign - _my reign_ \- there was so much that no one ever had before which increased communication even at long-distance, as well as more entertainment given the times were peaceful. That meant home phones installed, video games, more electricity...upgraded technology that would improve living. And that also meant the plans to finally create a school for children who had no interest in becoming Shinobi.

Another year passed since his return and her inauguration, and everything in Konoha as well as with its Shinobi and the civilians was going well - and one day, the Eighth Hokage was greeted with a hell of a surprise when Shikamaru knocked on her door, coming in with a mahogany box in his hands, blushing from ear to ear and saying that a "certain someone" had this borrowed and sent over to her so she could just simply pick which one.

Inside was a - _**oh, runt, rings! What do you know, eh?! I know exactly what this means!**_

Never in her life did Naru care about jewelry, except the pearl necklace from Itachi that she still wore to this day, so to see all these amazing _rings_ was something else! One had different shades of icy blue, one light and dark, like the finest match a couple could be - a real team that worked together. Both stones were enveloped together in an infinity ribbon of white fire and rested on pure silver.

She'd known of the ruby, which was popular and smoldering of fire; this one was sided with two sparkling yellow gems, all placed within gold. This could be something that warmed your heart's core.

Now she looked at this silver ring with an oval filled with twenty small diamonds, though for some reason, while other girls would cherish this as her friend, this didn't feel like it was close to Naru's heart. _Diamond ring out._

And here was such a romantic piece, like a golden moon against stars; the pearl was peachy gold and surrounded with sparkling diamonds. It was very lovely, though it was a bit too flashy. As was this next one which had the emerald laying sideways and framed with seeds of white on rosy gold, reminding her of Sakura's eyes, yet it didn't feel like it was hers.

It was the last one which grasped her attention and called to her heart, because she had never seen anything like it...even putting it on and imagining the day when Itachi would place it on her made the difference. Naru then removed it, her finger tingling in the aftermath.

"It's this one, Shikamaru...and tell him I said hell yes."

His blush softened just as his awkward grin grew broader, and she could have sworn she saw all the past Hokage's faces in their respectable places on the wall doing the same - sans one she wished could be covered up, personally, or taken down altogether. Except one of them was still alive and would learn the happiest news of her life.

 _Old man Third...Granny Tsunade...Dad...I wish you were all here to see this._

~o~

The wedding of the Hachidaime Hokage and the head of ANBU headquarters turned out to be the event of not only the year, but the _century_ as far as anyone was concerned.

In the past, no matter who was Hokage, the celebration was up to the standards of the festivals of the season. Now was no different, as it took place on the anniversary of the liberation of Konoha from its tyrannical Sixth Hokage - whose carved mountain face was the only one to receive disrespect and graffiti, and the mouth's prison where the village's heroine was placed by the same man was being renovated, the bars removed and the cavern being filled at the mouth; deeper below would be put to better use somehow. Likely a new training ground for the Black Ops, or a new meeting place.

So, back to the loving, sun-filled present which was more than earned: the Yamanaka flower shop and its partners in and out of Konoha went all out with the flowers which were for the season and the coming one. But besides their grandeur, their symbolisms mattered most.

 _White daisies for faith._

 _Blue hydrangeas for pride._

 _Sunflowers for radiance._

 _Red roses for love._

And there were more, taking place in a crown within the bride's halo of sunlight - the blue forget-me-nots for true love _._ And _blue eyes_ gazed upon the face of her _first and true love_ before her. Her love in a black garment called the _haori_ ; on the back was his family's crest which he would now wear without shame. And she was in a kimono in fantastic condition after all these years, for it had once been her mother Kushina Uzumaki's, having been stored away among the old possessions of Hiruzen Sarutobi and recovered after she was granted the key...so when she saw the lush white silk blossoming with greenery, orange and red flowers, she was in tears instantly.

Which was why she was willing to have her mother with her in a sense on the biggest day of her life, just like her father's portrait was everyday on the wall of the office that was now hers.

As for him, not only was he bearing the Uchiha on his back - and so would she, since she married into the family, when there were only a few of them left, counting more coming between her and Itachi - but his brother as well as his three teammates were there, not able to miss the wedding for anything else in the world.

And promised: Sakura Haruno was the maid of honor, and beside the groom was Kakashi. Everyone else was in attendance, including Ino and her husband Sai who took on her family name - and of course, a tearful Iruka who had never been more proud of her that she made all her dreams a reality.

The affair included Sunagakure being invited as well, and Gaara the Fifth Kazekage and his siblings sent the couple a wedding gift: a desert rose plant which took the bride and groom back to a certain day in which she asked him if he ever appreciated anything besides in technical terms. But now, he would enjoy everything the same way she would.

Via coded message, they got a congratulations and wishes of strength over time - from Kisame, Deidara and Zetsu.

And that meant all friends and loved ones who were not there but should be were no doubt looking over the occasion and smiling from the other side.

After going through necessary rites, taking the vows and everything, that left the ring which Tonton the pig carried in her mouth - safely in a black box from the moment of purchase. When Itachi pulled it out, the majestic jewel was seen for the world's eyes for the first time, sparking gasps of awe. A round, vivid orange jewel was set in the middle with a twinkling clear crystal; framing it were lush enameled green leaves - like a piece of fruit. Naru let a tear fall when he put it on. The pig oinked excitedly and rushed back to Shizune who was on the bride's side.

Years of abuse, of sacrifice and betrayals, and of the good times which was gaining friends and loved ones had all been worth it. Those who died weren't in vain and honored. When the bad times returned, the living would stand united for what they believed in - and protect those dearest to them. Especially Itachi and Naru Uchiha _._

Being pronounced husband and wife had never felt so good. Now to enjoy the peace while it lasted.

 **No words can describe how TIRED I am after the long working of this epilogue, especially with the Gokage meeting. Politics are NOT my thing. Add in that my father has made life worse with recent words he said to me for no reason. You're all better off not knowing what he said exactly.**

 **So, in terms of coming up with the Japanese name for the Eighth Hokage (which Naru is in this version), it was difficult, though** _ **hachi**_ **is the Japanese word for "eight". Hope it worked!**

 **The mention within the change of living which involved a new school for kids who aren't going to be Shinobi because of the times was inspired by "Black Roses" by Avenger Hawk, which had Itachi as the Hokage in the alternate world, non-massacre.**

 **Well, that does it folks: this epic story of adventure, drama and humor, tragedy, love and friendship comes to a conclusion. REVIEW. :'D And thank you all for the lovely support. All the trouble has been worth it, and I'd gladly do that all over with future projects!**


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